Practice of Mammography in a Private Nigerian Cancer Foundation: Our Experience.

BACKGROUND: Despite the proven effectiveness of mammography in screening and early breast cancer detection, there is still a huge disparity in both access to breast care and the quality of services provided in Nigeria. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have attempted to bridge this gap through awareness campaigns and subsidized breast imaging services. OBJECTIVES: To document the mammographic findings of adult females in a private NGO and assess the benefits of mammography practice in our locality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective evaluation of mammographic examinations carried out over a two-year period (January 2020- December 2021) in a private cancer foundation in Abuja, Nor t h Ce nt r al Nigeria. Demographic details, clinical and mammographic features were analyzed with a statistical level of significance set at p≤0.05. RESULT: The age range of 565 women evaluated in this study was 31-84 years with the majority (55.7%) of them in the 40-49 year range. More than half (52.7%) of the women had had at least one previous mammogram. Screening was the predominant indication for mammograms in 361 women (63.9%) while 204(36.1%) were symptomatic. Breast pain (59.6%) and breast lump (26.3%) were the most common clinical indications. The predominant breast density pattern was the American College of Radiologists Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System (ACR BIRADS) type B (Scattered fibroglandular densities) in 241 women (42.7%). Mammogram was normal in 206 women (34.7%) while 52 (8.8%) had intraparenchymal findings. The final assessment showed that most of the mammograms were BIRADS category 1(69.6%) and 2(13.8%) signifying normal and benign findings. Body mass index, parity, age at first pregnancy, menopausal status, and breast density had significant relationships with the final BIRADS category. CONCLUSION: Mammography is an invaluable part of breast care in our locality. Evaluation of mammographic services in our private NGO showed a predominance of screening mammography while a majority of the women with symptomatic breast diseases had normal and benign findings.

CONTEXTE: Malgré l'efficacité avérée de la mammographie dans le dépistage et la détection précoce du cancer du sein, il existe encore une énorme disparité tant dans l'accès aux soins du sein que dans la qualité des services fournis au Nigeria. Les organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) ont tenté de combler cette lacune grâce à des campagnes de sensibilisation et à des services d'imagerie mammaire subventionnés. OBJECTIFS: Documenter les résultats mammographiques des femmes adultes dans une ONG privée et évaluer les avantages de la pratique de la mammographie dans notre localité. MATÉRIEL ET MÉTHODES: Il s'agissait d'une évaluation rétrospective des examens mammographiques réalisés sur une période de deux ans (janvier 2020 - décembre 2021) dans une fondation de lutte contre le cancer privée à Abuja, au Nigeria. Les détails démographiques, les caractéristiques cliniques et mammographiques ont été analysés avec un niveau de signification statistique fixé à p ≤ 0,05. RÉSULTAT: La tranche d'âge des 565 femmes évaluées dans cette étude était de 31 à 84 ans, la majorité (55,7 %) d'entre elles se situant dans la tranche d'âge de 40 à 49 ans. Plus de la moitié (52,7 %) des femmes avaient déjà subi au moins une mammographie précédente. Le dépistage était l'indication prédominante pour les mammographies chez 361 femmes (63,9 %), tandis que 204 (36,1 %) étaient symptomatiques. Les douleurs mammaires (59,6 %) et les masses mammaires (26,3 %) étaient les indications cliniques les plus courantes. Le motif de densité mammaire prédominant était de type B du système de notation et de rapport d'imagerie mammaire du Collège Américain des Radiologues (ACR BIRADS) chez 241 femmes (42,7 %). La mammographie était normale chez 206 femmes ( 34, 7 %) , t andi s que 52 ( 8, 8 %) présent ai ent des anomal i es intraparenchymateuses. L'évaluation finale a montré que la plupart des mammographies étaient classées BIRADS catégorie 1 (69,6 %) et 2 (13,8 %), ce qui signifie des résultats normaux et bénins. L'indice de masse corporelle, la parité, l'âge à la première grossesse, le statut ménopausique et la densité mammaire avaient des relations significatives avec la catégorie BIRADS finale. CONCLUSION: La mammographie est un élément inestimable des soins du sein dans notre localité. L'évaluation des services mammographiques dans notre ONG privée a montré une prédominance de la mammographie de dépistage, tandis que la majorité des femmes atteintes de maladies mammaires symptomatiques présentaient des résultats normaux et bénins. MOTS-CLÉS: Mammographie, Femmes, Nigeria, Soins du sein, Imagerie mammaire, Organisation non gouvernementale.

Crisis Rescue Foundation Vaxi Taxi/health and wellbeing pop-ups project.

BACKGROUND: Established by Crisis Rescue Foundation in 2021 to support the missing and vulnerable to access health and wellbeing help. AIM: Address health and wellbeing needs of people experiencing barriers to accessing NHS and allied care by delivering pop-ups in the hearts of communities, outside GP surgery and hospital walls, in a warm, inclusive environment. METHOD: Forty pop-ups so far across London delivering bespoke, individualised health information and signposting, joining up NHS, allied and local community services at key sites, including asylum seeker/homeless/faith/refugee/drug and alcohol support/food bank/sex worker support/youth club and education centres. A 'Medical Glastonbury' with background music, plus free food, toiletry goodie bags and clothes. Drug and alcohol/heart/oral/foot/sexual and mental health; support for carers; BLS; violence reduction; youth mentoring; housing; vaccination; wellbeing and more, information and signposting offered to local people by professionals, supporting and empowering people to access trusted guidance and care. Cardio and mental health check cards to record health information and guide next steps in appropriate care. RESULTS: Around 2000 Londoners were given health and wellbeing information. 80% of service users were from ethnic minority backgrounds. Over 99% of service users rated pop-ups highly. Over 1/3 had raised BP and nearly 2/3 had raised BMI detected and the individuals were signposted to appropriate information and care. CONCLUSION: Effective, bespoke and personalised information, and signposting to support were well-received at the pop-ups. Professionals working with service users experiencing inequalities of allied and local voluntary organisations to enhance equity by addressing the unmet health and wellbeing needs of the missing and the vulnerable.

Strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease in Singapore: A call to action from Singapore Heart Foundation, Singapore Cardiac Society and Chapter of Cardiologists of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

Introduction: In 2022, the Minister for Health of Singapore launched Healthier SG, a national strategy in championing the shift towards a population health approach. Method: The Singapore Heart Foundation conducted a series of roundtable discussions, also attended by representatives of the Singapore Cardiac Society and the Chapter of Cardiologists of the Academy of Medicine Singapore. During the meetings, the authors formulated interventions supportive of Healthier SG that specifically aimed to uplift the state of cardiovascular (CV) preventive care in Singapore. Results: In line with Healthier SG, the authors propose a 3-pronged approach ("Healthier Heart SG") to augment the success of Healthier SG in achieving good CV outcomes. This proposal includes the following components: (1) a call to update the standards of care in addressing the 5 main modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD); (2) patient education through cooperation between healthcare professionals and community partners for a whole-of-system approach; and (3) support for integrated care, including access to cardiac rehabilitation in the community, improved referral processes and access to nutrition/dietetics counselling and tobacco cessation, optimal use of information technology, and continued CV research. Conclusion: Healthier Heart SG would bring the standards of care and CV care delivery in Singapore closer to achieving the vision of proactive prevention of CVD and CV morbidity and mortality. This can only be achieved through the concerted efforts of healthcare professionals, policymakers and community partners, coupled with the cooperation of community members.

A model for oversight of rare disease studies: The 25-year experience of the cystic fibrosis foundation data safety monitoring board.

This manuscript addresses the development and operating procedures of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Data Safety Monitoring Board (CFF-DSMB) and its role in the development and approval of new therapies through complex clinical trials with an emphasis on ensuring patient safety and study integrity. The authors describe the processes that have been developed over the last 25 years including the development of educational curricula for DSMB members and patient representation on DSMBs. The experience and success of the CFF-DSMB can serve as a model for providing high quality oversight of clinical trials for other groups who are dedicated to developing treatments for rare and complex diseases.

The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF): A 30-Year Retrospective Analysis.

Federal government research grants provide limited funding to plastic surgeon-scientists, with reconstructive research taking precedence over aesthetic research. The Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to support innovative, diverse research endeavors within aesthetic surgery. A total of 130 ASERF-funded studies and 32 non-funded applications from 1992 to 2022 were reviewed. Kruskal Wallis, Fisher's exact, and chi-squared tests were utilized to assess the potential relationship between self-identified gender, practice setting, geographical location, and study type with individual grant amounts and grant funding decision. Although significant differences were observed between male and female grant recipient h-indices (P < .05), there were no differences in the amount of funding they received (P > .05). Grant amounts were also consistent between study types as well as principal investigator practice settings and geographical locations (P > .05). The subanalysis revealed that the practice setting of the primary investigator (PI) was the only variable to exhibit a significant association with the decision to award funding (P < .05). Further, of the 61 applicants between 2017 and 2022, only 2 PIs self-identified as female. ASERF serves as an excellent funding source for global aesthetic surgery. To promote further research diversification, increased emphasis should be placed on recruiting applicants from outside academia and those who identify as female or gender nonbinary.

Basic situation and trend analysis in heart transplantation research funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzes heart transplantation funding provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) between 1986 and 2022. The findings offer an objective and scientific reference for heart transplantation research. METHODS: CiteSpace visualization was used to present keywords in heart transplantation research. RESULTS: From 1986 to 2022, the NFSC disbursed ¥117.68 million to fund 259 projects related to heart transplantation. Hubei, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, and Heilongjiang received the most funding. General and youth science fund projects accounted for 58.69% and 30.50%, respectively. The main discipline category was organ transplantation and transplantation immunity, accounting for 40.93%. Research hotspots included "immune tolerance," "rejection reaction," "t cell" "dendritic cell," "stem cell," and "transplantation tolerance." Research foci were "rejection reaction," "heart failure," "immune tolerance," "heart transplantation," "stem cell," "suppressor cell," "dendritic cell," "dilated cardiomyopathy," and "t cell." In the past 5 years, the research frontier has targeted "transplantation tolerance," "ischemia-reperfusion injury," and "heart transplantation." CONCLUSION: Continuous NSFC funding for heart transplantation research has promoted the development of disciplines and cultivation of talent. Novel technologies (e.g., artificial hearts and donor maintenance) have generated new requirements for heart transplantation research.

Representaciones gráficas de la salud: una mirada desde los niños y niñas en desplazamiento en Medellín / Graphic Representations of Health: a Look From the Children in forced displacement in Medellín

(Figura 1) La imagen de la portada de la edición especial de pediatría hace parte de una experiencia de voluntariado social que realizo como pediatra en formación en la Fundación Posada de Moisés, una institución sin ánimo de lucro, creada en la ciudad de Medellín hace 21 años, con el objetivo social de prestar servicios de desarrollo integral a niñas, niños y adolescentes víctimas del desplazamiento forzado en Colombia, sin distinción de raza, procedencia o situación económica, generando impacto en más de 200 niños desde su creación, abarcando componentes académicos, psicológicos, alimentarios, pero el más importante la integración social por medio del amor y apoyo constante.

(Figure 1) The image on the cover of the Pediatrics special edition is part of a social volunteering experience that I carried out as a Pediatrics Resident at the Posada de Moisés Foundation, a non-profit institution, created in Medellín 21 years ago, with the social objective of providing integral development services to children and adolescents who are victims of forced displacement in Colombia, without distinction of race, origin or economic situation, generating an impact on more than 200 children since its creation, in academic, psychological, food scopes, but most important, in social integration through love and constant support.

[Research status on efficacy enhancement and toxicity reduction of Chinese medicine in treatment of malignant tumors: a review of projects supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China].

Through a retrospective analysis of the projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in the past ten years in the field of Chinese medicine for the treatment of malignant tumors, this article systematically summarized the main research contents and hotspots of Chinese medicine in efficacy enhancement and toxicity reduction. The efficacy enhancement of Chinese medicine mainly included the mitigation of molecule-targeted drug resistance, multidrug resistance, and chemotherapy resistance, synergistic efficacy enhancement, and radiotherapy sensitization. The toxicity reduction is mainly reflected in the alleviation of the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, Chinese medicine has advantages in reducing serious adverse reactions of malignant tumors, providing more options for the adjuvant treatment of tumors.

The 2010-2020 National Natural Science Foundation of China: Radiation Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This study explains the application number and funding rate of oncology projects undertaken by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), with focus on tumor radiotherapy-related research over the past 11 years. METHODS: A stratified analysis was carried out on the application and funding status of tumor radiotherapy studies in different NSFC project categories, different research areas, and different tumor types. Research areas that required specific focus, such as immunology-related radiotherapy, multimodality imaging and radiomics, and post-radiotherapy organ injury, were separately analyzed. RESULTS: The status and development trends of various related research fields were studied, and the research results were presented with the support of the NSFC, in order to provide reference for future applications and funding allocations. CONCLUSION: The number of applications for funding increases every year. Although the total number of funded projects has also increased every year, the funding rate has decreased year by year. Projects on radiotherapy and immunization have been at the forefront in recent years, and the funding rate for these projects increases yearly.

[Data analysis of application and funding of ophthalmology projects funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2010 to 2021].

Objective: To review the application for funding of ophthalmologic projects from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the current research progress, and to provide reference for the promotion of basic eye research in China. Methods: The NSFC application and funding information of ophthalmology-related projects from 2010 to 2021 were collected as a database for further analysis. The main categories of the analysis included the number of application and funding, the funding ratio, the research directions and the funded organizations. Results: During the 12 years, 13 267 applications were received in the field of ophthalmology, with an increase of 157.21% (1 025/652) in 2021 compared with 2010, and the number of applications for the Youth Foundation grew significantly. There were 2 221 funded projects, with an increase of 81.51% (97/119) in 2021 compared with 2010. After 2017, the number of funded projects was basically around 200 per year, with a funding rate of 16.74%(2 221/13 267). The funding amount was 1 026.9 million yuan in total, with an average of 462 400 yuan. Sun Yat-sen University (1 060 applied and 265 funded projects), Fudan University (759 applied and 186 funded projects), Shanghai Jiaotong University (820 applied and 178 funded projects), Wenzhou Medical University (625 applied and 113 funded projects) and Capital Medical University (538 applied and 95 funded projects) were the top five institutions in terms of the number of application and funding. Conclusions: From 2010 to 2021, the application number of ophthalmology projects increased rapidly, while the number of funded projects increased slowly, and the funding ratio decreased year by year. With the support of NSFC, the basic research of ophthalmology in China has made great progress. However, we still need to find and solve problems to promote the sustainable advance of ophthalmology. (This article was published ahead of print on the official website of Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology on January 21, 2022).

Performance of Fetal Medicine Foundation algorithm for first trimester preeclampsia screening in an indigenous south Asian population.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the performance of the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) preterm preeclampsia (PE) screening algorithm in an indigenous South Asian population. METHODS: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted in a tertiary maternal fetal unit in Delhi, India over 2 years. The study population comprised of 1863 women carrying a singleton pregnancy and of South Asian ethnicity who were screened for preterm pre-eclampsia (PE) between 11 and 14 weeks of gestation using Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP), transvaginal Mean Uterine Artery Pulsatility Index (UtAPI) and biochemical markers - Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein-A (PAPP-A) and Placental Growth Factor.. Absolutemeasurements of noted biomarkers were converted to multiples of the expected gestational median (MoMS) which were then used to estimate risk for preterm PE < 37 weeks using Astraia software. Women with preterm PE risk of ≥1:100 was classified as as high risk. Detection rates (DR) at 10% false positive rate were calculated after adjusting for prophylactic aspirin use (either 75 or 150 mg). RESULTS: The incidence of PE and preterm PE were 3.17% (59/1863) and 1.34% (25/1863) respectively. PAPP-A and PlGF MoM distribution medians were 0.86 and 0.87 MoM and significantly deviated from 1 MoM. 431 (23.1%) women had a risk of ≥1:100, 75 (17.8%) of who received aspirin. Unadjusted DR using ≥1:100 threshold was 76%.Estimated DRs for a fixed 10% FPR ranged from 52.5 to 80% depending on biomarker combination after recentering MoMs and adjusting for aspirin use. CONCLUSION: The FMF algorithm whilst performing satisfactorily could still be further improved to ensure that biophysical and biochemical markers are correctly adjusted for indigenous South Asian women.

Dependencia emocional y violencia en mujeres atendidas en la Fundación Nosotras con Equidad, de Riobamba / Emotional dependence and violence in women treated at the FundaciónNosotras con Equidad, of Riobamba

RESUMEN Introducción: la violencia es un fenómeno psicosocial, considerado un problema de salud pública que genera graves consecuencias en las mujeres. La dependencia emocional podría ser un factor esencial para que una mujer tolere situaciones de violencia. Objetivo: determinar la relación entre la dependencia emocional y la violencia en mujeres atendidas en la Fundación Nosotras con Equidad, de Riobamba, Ecuador. Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional, prospectivo, transversal, analítico, bivariado y de nivel relacional, en una población de 300 mujeres de 18 a 65 años de la Fundación Nosotras con Equidad, de Riobamba, durante el primer semestre de 2020. Para el procesamiento de datos de dependencia emocional y violencia se utilizó el programa IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0; para el análisis estadístico-descriptivo gráficos de barras agrupadas, y para el análisis bivariado el coeficiente de correlación tau-b de Kendall. Resultados: se evidenció que 237 mujeres presentaron dependencia emocional moderada (79,0 %) y que 279 indicaron haber sufrido violencia de pareja severa (93,0%). La correlación entre la dependencia emocional y la violencia psicológica es media positiva (0.473). Conclusiones: en las mujeres víctimas de violencia se hallaron altos niveles de dependencia emocional y se evidenció una correlación media positiva entre la violencia psicológica y la dependencia emocional. En la variable de dependencia emocional se observaron como indicadores relevantes el miedo a la soledad, a ser abandonada, lo que representa una forma de rechazo a su autoestima, manteniéndose sumergida en una relación violenta (AU).

ABSTRACT Introduction: violence is a psychosocial phenomenon, considered a public health problem that generates serious consequences for women. Emotional dependence could be an important factor for a woman to tolerate situations of violence. Objective: to determine the relationship between emotional dependence and violence in women attended at the FundaciónNosotras con Equidad, of Riobamba, Ecuador. Materials and methods: an observational, prospective, cross-sectional, analytical, bivariate and relational study was conducted in a population of 300 women aged 18 to 65 years from the FundaciónNosotras con Equidad, of Riobamba, during the first semester of 2020. The IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 program was used for processing emotional dependence and violence data; for statistical-descriptive analysis, grouped bar graphs, and for bivariate analysis, the correlation coefficient tau-b of Kendall. Results: it was shown that 237 women had moderate emotional dependence (79.0%) and 279 reported that they had suffered severe partner violence (93.0%). The correlation between emotional dependence and psychological violence is average positive (0.473). Conclusions: high levels of emotional dependence were found in women victims of violence and an average positive correlation between psychological violence and emotional dependence was evident. In the variable of emotional dependence, the fear of loneliness, of being abandoned, was observed as relevant indicators, which represents a form of rejection of their self-esteem, remaining immersed in a violent relationship (AU).

"A gente nunca pensou que teria que recomeçar": histórias de vida na extinção das fundações do Rio Grande do Sul / "We never thought we would have to start over": life stories in the extinction of foundations in Rio Grande do S

No âmbito das políticas neoliberais, é possível localizar, na história recente do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, gestões que aderiram fielmente a esses preceitos, como o recente governo de José Ivo Sartori (2015-2018). Essa optou por combinações de políticas de austeridade e de reformas a partir da diminuição da participação do Estado na sociedade. Nosso artigo busca refletir sobre as condições de vida e de trabalho dos servidores públicos estaduais gaúchos frente à crise e compreender como um casal de servidores engendra possibilidades de enfrentamento à precarização das relações de trabalho - produto da gestão neoliberal - que outrora estruturavam a vida familiar. A partir das histórias de vida de Maria e João, discorremos sobre a flagrante piora nas condições de trabalho, seja na infraestrutura e no remanejamento arbitrário, seja nos planos de carreira ou mesmo em suas estabilidades. Refletimos que, no âmbito da crise, há precarização da vida e na produção da subjetividade desses trabalhadores, o que desemboca na assunção de novos papéis sociais e reconfigurações relacionais na conjugalidade.

Within the scope of neoliberal policies, it is possible to locate, in the recent history of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, administrations that faithfully adhered to these precepts, such as the José Ivo Sartori's administration (2015-2018). This administration opted for austerity and reform policy combinations, based on the decrease of the State's participation in society. Our article seeks to reflect on the living and working conditions of the State's civil servants in the face of the crisis and to understand how a couple of civil servants engender possibilities of coping with the precariousness - a product of neoliberal management - of labor relations that once structured family life. Based on the life stories of Maria and João, we talk about the flagrant worsening in working conditions, whether in infrastructure and arbitrary relocation, in career plans or even in their stability. We reflect that, in the crisis, there is a precariousness in workers' life and production of subjectivity, which leads to the assumption of new social roles and relational configurations in conjugality.

Movember in a pandemic - it matters, more than ever.

Dear Editor, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of new cases of cancer. This increase, in part, is closely related to the increase in average life expectancy, as well as more accurate diagnostic techniques and well-defined screening programs. [...].

Uma análise das ações de divulgação e popularização da ciência na Fundação Oswaldo Cruz / An analysis of actions taken by Fundação Oswaldo Cruz for the communication and popularization of science

Resumo Neste trabalho apresentamos uma análise das ações de divulgação e popularização da ciência na Fiocruz a partir de duas perspectivas. O estudo tem por objetivo investigar como se organiza um sistema de divulgação e popularização da ciência em uma instituição científica de grande porte e como esse sistema se articula com seu discurso institucional. Além de fazer uma breve revisão da evolução do tema na história da Fiocruz, realizamos um levantamento de como o mesmo tem sido tratado nos documentos oficiais de planejamento. Com o mapeamento das ações realizadas em 2015 e 2016, foi possível compreender melhor esse universo e classificá-lo de acordo com suas características junto ao público.

Abstract An analysis is presented of actions taken by the Brazilian research institution Fiocruz for the communication and popularization of science, from two perspectives. The aim was to investigate how a system for the communication and popularization of science is organized at a large scientific institution and how it is articulated with the institutional discourse. A brief review is presented of how the topic has developed over the history of Fiocruz, followed by a discussion of the way it has been addressed in its official planning documents. The science communication/popularization actions undertaken in 2015 and 2016 were mapped out and classified according to how they interact with the public, giving a better understanding of this area.