Concealment of Potential Exposure to COVID-19 and Its Impact on Outbreak Control: Lessons from the HIV Response.

Globally, more than 4 million people have been infected with COVID-19, and more than 300,000 deaths have been reported across 188 countries. Concealment of one's potential exposure to the virus has negative implications for the spread of COVID-19 across the socio-ecological spectrum, including the futility of contact-tracing efforts, exposure of frontline staff, and the spread of COVID-19 in the community. We draw lessons learned from HIV to discuss stigma and the attribution of blame surrounding the phenomenon of concealment of one's potential exposure to COVID-19 using a socio-ecological perspective. This article also illustrates the psychosocial aspect of the disease, and the negative repercussions of concealment of potential exposure on transmission in the community and to front-liners, healthcare resources, and outbreak containment

Challenges to Lean Six Sigma Implementation - A Case Study of a Manufacturing Facility in Singapore

Companies today constantly seek to lower costs, maintain high level of quality and improve delivery for both manufactured products and services to achieve and sustain competitive advantage. Most companies seek to achieve all this through the implementation of continuous improvement initiatives. Amongst the various continuous improvement initiatives, Lean and Six Sigma have been the most popular and widely adopted. In recent years, the term Lean Six Sigma has been used to describe a management initiative or framework that combines these two proven methodologies. This management project is a case study research of an aviation facility in Singapore that first implemented Six Sigma in 1996, before introducing Lean and combining both initiatives together as Lean Six Sigma in 2005. Qualitative research techniques, namely semi-structured interviews and documentation, were used for primary and secondary data collection. The research findings revealed that Lean is increasingly being applied and valued at the facility, although Six Sigma tools remain dominant in projects while Lean tools are used mainly during Lean events (AWOs and Kaizens). Four challenges to Lean Six Sigma implementation were successfully identified, namely lack of employees trained in Lean, inadequate Lean training curriculum, poor planning and implementation, and lack of benefit identification. This purpose of this research is to identify the challenges to Lean Six Sigma implementation and provide recommendations for the management’s consideration. This will allow the business to effectively improve its implementation strategy and maximise its Lean Six Sigma initiative

Anti-proliferative effects of raw and steamed extracts of Panax notoginseng and its ginsenoside constituents on human liver cancer cells

10.1186/1749-8546-6-4Chinese Medicine6

Acceptability of Active Case Finding with a Seed-and-Recruit Model to Improve Tuberculosis Case Detection and Linkage to Treatment in Cambodia: A Qualitative Study

Background With support of the national tuberculosis (TB) program, KHANA (a local non-governmental organization in Cambodia) has implemented an innovative approach using a seed-and-recruit model to actively find TB cases in the community. The model engaged community members including TB survivors as seed and newly diagnosed people with TB as recruiters to recruit presumptive TB cases in their social network in a snowball approach for screening and linkage to treatment. This study aimed to explore the acceptability of the active case finding with the seed-and-recruit model in detecting new TB cases and determine the characteristics of successful seeds. Methods This qualitative study was conducted in four provinces (Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, Siem Reap, and Takeo) in Cambodia in 2017. Fifty-six in-depth interviews and ten focus group discussions (with a total of 64 participants) were conducted with selected beneficiaries and key stakeholders at different levels to gain insights into the acceptability, strengths, and challenges in implementing the model and the characteristics of successful seeds. Transcripts were coded and content analyses were performed. Results The seed-and-recruit active case finding model was generally well-received by the study participants. They saw the benefits of engaging TB survivors and utilizing their social network to find new TB cases in the community. The social embeddedness of the model within the local community was one of the major strengths. The success of the model also hinges on the integration with existing health facilities. Having an extensive social network, being motivated, and having good knowledge about TB were important characteristics of successful seeds. Study participants reported challenges in motivating the presumptive TB cases for screening, logistic capacities, and high workload during the implementation. However, there was a general consensus that the model ought to be expanded. Conclusions These findings indicate that the seed-and-recruit model is well-accepted by the beneficiaries and key stakeholders. Further studies are needed to more comprehensively evaluate the impacts and cost-effectiveness of the model for future expansion in Cambodia as well as in other resource-limited settings

Mobilising community networks for early identification of tuberculosis and treatment initiation in Cambodia: an evaluation of a seed-and-recruit model.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The effects of active case finding (ACF) models that mobilise community networks for early identification and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) remain unknown. We investigated and compared the effect of community-based ACF using a seed-and-recruit model with one-off roving ACF and passive case finding (PCF) on the time to treatment initiation and identification of bacteriologically confirmed TB. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study conducted in 12 operational districts in Cambodia, we assessed relationships between ACF models and: 1) the time to treatment initiation using Cox proportional hazards regression; and 2) the identification of bacteriologically confirmed TB using modified Poisson regression with robust sandwich variance. RESULTS: We included 728 adults with TB, of whom 36% were identified via the community-based ACF using a seed-and-recruit model. We found community-based ACF using a seed-and-recruit model was associated with shorter delay to treatment initiation compared to one-off roving ACF (hazard ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.96). Compared to one-off roving ACF and PCF, community-based ACF using a seed-and-recruit model was 45% (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.45, 95% CI 1.19-1.78) and 39% (PR 1.39, 95% CI 0.99-1.94) more likely to find and detect bacteriologically confirmed TB, respectively. CONCLUSION: Mobilising community networks to find TB cases was associated with early initiation of TB treatment in Cambodia. This approach was more likely to find bacteriologically confirmed TB cases, contributing to the reduction of risk of transmission within the community

Effect of community active case-finding strategies for detection of tuberculosis in Cambodia: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cambodia has made notable progress in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). However, these gains are impeded by a significant proportion of undiagnosed cases. To effectively reach people with TB, active case-finding (ACF) strategies have been adopted by countries affected by the epidemic, including Cambodia, alongside passive case finding (PCF). Despite increased efforts to improve case detection, approximately 40% of TB cases in Cambodia remained undiagnosed in 2018. In Cambodia, several community-based TB ACF modalities have been implemented, but their effectiveness has yet to be systematically assessed. METHODS: This pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted between December 2019 and June 2021. We will randomize eight operational districts (clusters) in seven provinces (Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Prey Veng, Thbong Khmum, Kampong Chhnang, Kandal, and Kampong Speu) to either the control group (PCF) or the intervention groups (ACF using a seed-and-recruit model, ACF targeting household and neighborhood contacts, and ACF targeting persons aged ≥ 55 years using mobile screening units). The primary endpoints will be TB case notification rates, additionality, and cumulative yield of TB cases. The secondary endpoints include treatment outcomes, the number needed to screen to find one TB case, and cost-effectiveness outcome measures. We will analyze the primary and secondary endpoints by intention to treat. We will compare cluster and individual-level characteristics using Student's t test and hierarchical or mixed-effect models to estimate the ratio of these means. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per disability-adjusted life year averted will also be considered as a benchmark to determine whether the interventions are cost-effective. DISCUSSION: This study will build an evidence base to inform future scale-up, implementation, and sustainability of ACF strategies in Cambodia and other similar settings. Implementation of this study will also complement TB control strategies in Cambodia by conducting ACF in operational districts without active interventions to find TB cases currently. Those who are ill and might have TB will be promptly screened, diagnosed, and linked to care. Early diagnosis and treatment initiation will also benefit their community by interrupting transmission and prevent further infections. The experience gained from this project will inform future attempts in conducting pragmatic trials in low-resource settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04094350. Registered on 18 September 2019

Risk factors of HIV infection among female entertainment workers in Cambodia: Findings of a national survey.

BACKGROUND: Cambodia has been well recognized for its success in the fight against the HIV epidemic. However, challenges remain in eliminating HIV infections in key populations, including women working in entertainment establishments, such as massage parlors, karaoke bars, or beer gardens. This study explored the prevalence of HIV and identified factors associated with HIV infection among female entertainment workers (FEWs) in Cambodia. METHODS: This national biological and behavioral survey was conducted in 2016 in Phnom Penh and 17 provinces. We used a two-stage cluster sampling method to recruit FEWs for HIV testing performed on-site and face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. We investigated factors associated with HIV infection using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: This study included 3149 FEWs with a mean age of 26.2 years (SD 5.7). The adjusted prevalence of HIV was 3.2% (95% CI 1.76-5.75). In the multiple logistic regression model, the odds of HIV infection were significantly higher among FEWs in the age group of 31 to 35 (AOR 2.72, 95% CI 1.36-8.25) and 36 or older (AOR 3.62, 95% CI 1.89-10.55); FEWs who were not married but living with a sexual partner (AOR 3.00, 95% CI 1.16-7.79); FEWs who had at least ten years of formal education (AOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.17-0.83); FEWs who reported having abnormal vaginal discharge (AOR 3.51, 95% CI 1.12-9.01), genital ulcers or sores (AOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.09-3.17), and genital warts (AOR 2.89, 95% CI 1.44-6.33) in the past three months; and FEWs who reported using illicit drugs (AOR 3.28, 95% CI 1.20-4.27) than their respective reference group. The odds of HIV infection were significantly lower among FEWs working in karaoke bars (AOR 0.26, 95% CI 0.14-0.50) and beer gardens (AOR 0.17, 95% CI 0.09-0.54) than among freelance FEWs. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HIV among FEWs in Cambodia remains much higher than that in the general population. These findings indicate that differentiated strategies to address HIV and other sexually transmitted infections should be geared towards FEWs working as freelancers or in veiled entertainment venues such as massage parlors and freelance sex workers. Prevention efforts among venue-based FEWs should be sustained

Evaluating residual tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer: diagnostic performance and outcomes using biparametric vs. multiparametric MRI

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before radical cystectomy is standard of care in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Response assessment after NAC is important but suboptimal using CT. We assessed MRI without vs. with intravenous contrast (biparametric [BP] vs. multiparametric [MP]) for identifying residual disease on cystectomy and explored its prognostic role. METHODS Consecutive MIBC patients that underwent NAC, MRI, and cystectomy between January 2000-November 2022 were identified. Two radiologists reviewed BP-MRI (T2 + DWI) and MP-MRI (T2 + DWI + DCE) for residual tumor. Diagnostic performances were compared using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate association with disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS 61 patients (36 men and 25 women; median age 65 years, interquartile range 59-72) were included. After NAC, no residual disease was detected on pathology in 19 (31.1%) patients. BP-MRI was more accurate than MP-MRI for detecting residual disease after NAC: area under the curve = 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.62-0.85) vs. 0.58 (95% CI, 0.45-0.70; p = 0.043). Sensitivity were identical (65.1%; 95% CI, 49.1-79.0) but specificity was higher in BP-MRI compared with MP-MRI for determining residual disease: 77.8% (95% CI, 52.4-93.6) vs. 38.9% (95% CI, 17.3-64.3), respectively. Positive BP-MRI and residual disease on pathology were both associated with worse DFS: hazard ratio (HR) = 4.01 (95% CI, 1.70-9.46; p = 0.002) and HR = 5.13 (95% CI, 2.66-17.13; p = 0.008), respectively. Concordance between MRI and pathology results was significantly associated with DFS. Concordant positive (MRI+/pathology+) patients showed worse DFS than concordant negative (MRI-/pathology-) patients (HR = 8.75, 95% CI, 2.02-37.82; p = 0.004) and compared to the discordant group (MRI+/pathology- or MRI-/pathology+) with HR = 3.48 (95% CI, 1.39-8.71; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION BP-MRI was more accurate than MP-MRI for identifying residual disease after NAC. A negative BP-MRI was associated with better outcomes, providing complementary information to pathological assessment of cystectomy specimens

Installation of high resistance grounding system on the ungrounded system at offshore platform

Single line to earth fault usually can be seen in the ungrounded system. The ungrounded system is used widely in offshore platforms due to its advantages over the overvoltage whenever a fault occurs in the power systems. Continuous production with less interruption is vital in the oil and gas industry to achieve the production rate target. The grounding system has evolved for the past years and improvements have been made to the ungrounded system that has been around the years in the industry. The ungrounded system has been the best grounding system when the power system needs to maintain its operation with the presence of tolerable fault such as the single line to earth fault. Some facilities have included the feature of tripping the main circuit breaker whenever there is ground fault on the non-critical equipment. This has been unproductive to the operation and time consuming in restarting the plant facility after power failure or shutdown. Kikeh offshore platform is having the same situation whenever the ground fault occurs the main circuit breaker tripped and affects the operation badly. The High Resistance Grounding (HRG) design has proved to be able to sustain the fault and at the same time allows the plant to continue operating without any unnecessary shutdown. This improves the downtime and increases productivity. Furthermore, arc hazards to personnel and the classification flammable gas area can be minimized

Duration and determinants of delayed tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in high-burden countries: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Thirty countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden bear 87% of the world's TB cases. Delayed diagnosis and treatment are detrimental to TB prognosis and sustain TB transmission in the community, making TB elimination a great challenge, especially in these countries. Our objective was to elucidate the duration and determinants of delayed diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB in high TB-burden countries. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative and qualitative studies by searching four databases for literature published between 2008 and 2018 following PRISMA guidelines. We performed a narrative synthesis of the covariates significantly associated with patient, health system, treatment, and total delays. The pooled median duration of delay and effect sizes of covariates were estimated using random-effects meta-analyses. We identified key qualitative themes using thematic analysis. RESULTS: This review included 124 articles from 14 low- and lower-middle-income countries (LIC and LMIC) and five upper-middle-income countries (UMIC). The pooled median duration of delays (in days) were-patient delay (LIC/LMIC: 28 (95% CI 20-30); UMIC: 10 (95% CI 10-20), health system delay (LIC/LMIC: 14 (95% CI 2-28); UMIC: 4 (95% CI 2-4), and treatment delay (LIC/LMIC: 14 (95% CI 3-84); UMIC: 0 (95% CI 0-1). There was consistent evidence that being female and rural residence was associated with longer patient delay. Patient delay was also associated with other individual, interpersonal, and community risk factors such as poor TB knowledge, long chains of care-seeking through private/multiple providers, perceived stigma, financial insecurities, and poor access to healthcare. Organizational and policy factors mediated health system and treatment delays. These factors included the lack of resources and complex administrative procedures and systems at the health facilities. We identified data gaps in 11 high-burden countries. CONCLUSIONS: This review presented the duration of delays and detailed the determinants of delayed TB diagnosis and treatment in high-burden countries. The gaps identified could be addressed through tailored approaches, education, and at a higher level, through health system strengthening and provision of universal health coverage to reduce delays and improve access to TB diagnosis and care. PROSPERO registration: CRD42018107237