This study examined the influence of built environmental factors in the community on active social network size as well as the moderating influence of different dimensions of social activity on this relationship.

This study employed the cross-sectional and correlational approaches to construct a scale measuring key community-level built environment factors and test the moderating influence of social activity on the association between these factors and active social network size in older adults. The study population was all 3,211 older adults who were resident in Accra and were part of the database of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust. Participants were 515 older adults in Accra aged 60 years or more who met some inclusion criteria. A self-reported questionnaire, including a new scale measuring the built environment factors, was used to collect data. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis were used to validate the measurement scales, whereas Pearson’s correlation test and multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the associations of interest.

After controlling for relevant demographic variables, built environment factors in the community have no significant influence on active social network size. Volunteering, support for social ties, and group activity positively moderated the influence of built environment factors on active social network size at

 < .05 and β ≥ 0.2.

The study concludes that social activity is essential to the utilization of available built environmental factors by older adults to make active social ties in the community.

The study concludes that social activity is essential to the utilization of available built environmental factors by older adults to make active social ties in the community.We explored the impact of two community-based educational interventions on Nigerian adults’ knowledge and intention to take or encourage human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and cervical screenings. Face-to-face presentation and printed pamphlet intervention were delivered to 266 men and women aged 18 to 65 years in 12 locations in urban setting. At baseline, the majority (80%) had poor knowledge of HPV, and less than 12% had ever received or have a family member who had received HPV vaccine or cervical screening. Postintervention, there was significant increase (>70%) in the participants knowledge and intention to take or encourage HPV vaccination and cervical screening. In addition, more than half were willing to pay for HPV vaccine and screening even when expensive. Gender-focused and context-specific low-cost community-based educational interventions are effective in increasing HPV vaccine and cervical screening in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Milan criteria are recommended to select hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients for liver transplantation (LT). The utility of other selection criteria, such as the alpha-fetoprotein-adjusted-to-HCC-size (AFP-UTS) criteria, is still unclear.

We investigated, in HCC patients who underwent LT, the survival and the recurrence after LT according to AFP-UTS and Milan criteria, the impact of early recurrence and the correlation between radiological and pathological staging.

Adult HCC patients undergoing deceased donor LT at the Medical University of Vienna between 1997 and 2014 were retrospectively analysed.

Among 166 patients included, the number of patients who fulfilled Milan or AFP-UTS criteria was the same (139 [84%] each), although not all of them were the same individuals; 127 patients (77%) fulfilled both Milan and AFP-UTS criteria. Median overall survival of patients within AFP-UTS was 126.9 versus 34.2months outside AFP-UTS (5-year survival rate 71% vs. 43%; p=0.104). The 5-year recurrence rate was significantly lower in patients fulfilling the AFP-UTS criteria (18%) than in those exceeding AFP-UTS (64%; p<0.001). Of the 139 patients within Milan criteria on imaging, 24 (17%) had microvascular invasion and 47 (34%) were outside Milan according to explant histology. Early recurrence correlated with AFP-UTS and was associated with dismal survival (median overall survival 17.2 vs. 122.1months, p=0.002).

The overall survival of patients within AFP-UTS criteria was favourable with a 5-year survival rate above 70%. Early recurrence is associated with worse survival after LT. The AFP-UTS criteria may be more suitable to exclude patients at high risk of (early) recurrence than Milan criteria.

The overall survival of patients within AFP-UTS criteria was favourable with a 5-year survival rate above 70%. Early recurrence is associated with worse survival after LT. The AFP-UTS criteria may be more suitable to exclude patients at high risk of (early) recurrence than Milan criteria.

Endoscopically defined mucosal healing in Crohn’s disease is associated with improved outcomes. Panenteric capsule endoscopy enables a single non-invasive assessment of small and large bowel mucosal inflammation.Aims and methods This multicentre observational study of patients with suspected and established Crohn’s disease examined the feasibility, safety and impact on patient outcomes of panenteric capsule endoscopy in routine clinical practice. selleck chemicals The potential role in assessment of disease severity and extent by a comparison with existing clinical and biochemical markers is examined.

Panenteric capsule endoscopy was performed on 93 patients (71 with established and 22 with suspected Crohn’s disease). A complete examination occurred in 85% (79/93). Two cases (2.8%) of capsule retention occurred in patients with established Crohn’s disease. Panenteric capsule resulted in management change in 38.7% (36/93) patients, including 64.6% (32/48) of those with an established diagnosis whose disease was active, and ic capsule endoscopy may be a suitable non-invasive endoscopic investigation in determining disease activity and supporting management decisions.The recent outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus leading to the disease COVID 19 has become a global pandemic that is spreading rapidly and has caused a global health emergency. Hence, there is an urgent need of the hour to discover effective drugs to control the pandemic caused by this virus. Under such conditions, it would be imperative to repurpose already known drugs which could be a quick and effective alternative to discovering new drugs. The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-COV-2 is an attractive drug target because of its essential role in the processing of the majority of the non-structural proteins which are translated from viral RNA. Herein, we report the high-throughput virtual screening and molecular docking studies to search for the best potential inhibitors against Mpro from FDA approved drugs available in the ZINC database as well as the natural compounds from the Specs database. Our studies have identified six potential inhibitors of Mpro enzyme, out of which four are commercially available FDA approved drugs (Cobicistat, Iopromide, Cangrelor, and Fortovase) and two are from Specs database of natural compounds (Hopeaphenol and Cyclosieversiodide-A).