Purpose: To validate the Rosenbaum near vision card (Near Chart) and a smartphone-based visual acuity (VA) test (Eye Chart) against a standard retro-illuminated Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart within participants. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of participants aged ≥ 18 years was conducted. VA was measured in all participants using the ETDRS chart, Near Chart and smartphone-based Eye Chart application, respectively. VA was converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) for statistical analysis. Eyes with ETDRS VA worse than 1.0 logMAR (20/200) were excluded. The main outcome measures were levels of agreement between VA measured using the Near Chart or Eye Chart application vs the ETDRS chart. Results: A total of 295 eyes of 151 participants were included. One hundred participants (66.2%) were female and the mean age was 64.3 ± 12.5 years. Educational level was high school or below for 49% of participants and at Bachelor’s degree or above for 51%. The median logMAR VAs of all eyes tested using the ETDRS chart, Near Chart and Eye Chart application were 0.1, 0.0 and 0.1, respectively. The median VA difference between the Near Chart vs ETDRS chart and Eye Chart application vs ETDRS chart was 0.0 logMAR in both cases for both the right eye (OD) and left eye (OS). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) demonstrated a strong positive correlation between VA tested with the Near Chart vs ETDRS chart (OD: ICC=0.85; p< 0.001, OS: ICC=0.77; p< 0.001) and Eye Chart application vs ETDRS chart (OD: ICC=0.88; p< 0.001, OS: ICC=0.74; p< 0.001). Conclusion: VA measurements with the Near Chart and smartphone-based Eye Chart application corresponded well to the standard ETDRS chart, suggesting potential utility of alternative portable VA tests for in-office or remote vision monitoring, particularly during periods of physical distancing such as the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era.

INTRODUCTION: The burden of alcohol-related complications is considerable, particularly alcohol-associated liver disease and alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, there are deficiencies in comprehensive epidemiological research focusing on these issues, especially among young women who display higher susceptibility to such complications compared with their male counterparts. We thus aimed to determine the global burden of these conditions in this vulnerable group. METHODS: Leveraging data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we analyzed the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years of alcohol-associated cirrhosis (AC), liver cancer from alcohol, and AUD in young women. The findings were categorized by region, nation, and sociodemographic index. RESULTS: The highest age-standardized prevalence rates were observed in AUD (895.96 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 722.6–1,103.58]), followed by AC (65.33 [95% UI 48.37–86.49]) and liver cancer from alcohol (0.13 [95% UI 0.09–0.19]) per 100,000 people. The highest age-standardized mortality rates were observed in AC (0.75 [95% UI 0.55–0.97]), followed by AUD (0.48 [95% UI 0.43–0.53]) and liver cancer from alcohol (0.06 [95% UI 0.04–0.09]). The highest burdens of AC and AUD were observed in Central Europe, whereas the high-income Asia Pacific had the highest burden of liver cancer from alcohol. DISCUSSION: Throughout the past decade, the trend of AUD varied among regions while the impact of alcohol-associated liver disease has increased, requiring urgent public health strategy to mitigate these complications, particularly in female patients in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Sepsis is one of the well-established diseases with specific patterns of neutrophil dysfunctions. Previous studies demonstrated sepsis-related neutrophil dysfunctions in comparison with subjects without infection. Since sepsis and infection are recently recognized as distinctive processes, whether these neutrophil dysfunctions are associated with sepsis or infection are not known. Therefore, we longitudinally compared neutrophil functions, widely-cited as exhibiting sepsis-related changes, between patients with septic shock and infection. The surface level of cluster of differentiation 64 (CD64), C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2), C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2); apoptosis; and NETosis were measured from peripheral blood neutrophils for seven consecutive days using flow cytometry. The between-group comparisons of neutrophil functions were made both on a day-by-day basis and as linear regression between time and measured neutrophil functions (sepsis status included as model predictors). Our study found that, among neutrophil functions studied, only CXCR2 surface level is associated with sepsis. At disease onset, CXCR2 level decrease, with a dose-response relationship with clinical severity. Its level reverts to resemble infected patients by the end of the week. The relationship between CD64 surface level, CCR2 surface level, NETosis, and sepsis are mediated through the effect of infection. Apoptosis activity between these groups are similar, hence, not sepsis-related.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and influencing factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and willingness to pay in Thailand. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 13 September 2021 to 14 January 2022. Data were collected using an online questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (delay in acceptance and denying vaccination), determinants of vaccine hesitancy (complacency, convenience, and confidence), and willingness to pay. The general Thai population aged ≥18 years were surveyed. Among 705 respondents, 10.4% reported hesitancy, with significant determinants being low complacency and confidence in the vaccine; low convenience was not a significant determinant. Multivariate analysis revealed vaccine hesitancy among women, those with higher education, non-healthcare workers, and those who lived in rural areas. Furthermore, 77.2% of respondents were willing to pay, with the majority willing to pay in the range of THB 501–1000 ( USD 1 = THB 33) per dose. Increased monthly income, no impact of COVID-19 on income, and time period (before mRNA vaccine availability) significantly affected willingness to pay.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major contributors to mortality and disease burden; however, evidence regarding NCD risk factors, particularly socioeconomic factors, remains limited. We investigated the prevalence of five key behavioural risk factors for NCDs (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and overweight/obesity) within the Thai population and the influence of economic status on these risk factors. We gathered secondary data from the 2021 health Behaviour of Population Survey. Data were derived from a stratified, nationally representative household survey using two-stage sampling. Economic status was categorised into very low, low, middle, high, and very high levels. Among the 207,191 participants (weighted to represent 26,600,947 participants), the most prevalent NCD risk factor was an unhealthy diet (56.93%), followed by overweight/obesity (50.03%), physical inactivity (42.70%), alcohol consumption (29.73%), and smoking (16.61%). Higher economic levels were associated with increased odds of alcohol consumption (e.g. adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03-1.25 for high) and an unhealthy diet (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.15-1.38 for very high), while smoking odds decreased (AOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.59-0.77 for very high). Physical inactivity exhibited a U-shaped association, and overweight/obesity slightly increased at the highest economic levels (AOR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.21). Unhealthy dietary patterns and overweight/obesity were the most prevalent NCD risk factors. Smoking was the least prevalent. Tailored, evidence-based interventions targeting specific economic groups are needed to effectively reduce NCD risk factors and promote health equity.

To flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections, with no effective pharmacological interventions or vaccine available in the imminent future, public health responses must continue to rely on non-pharmacological interventions. We developed three innovation media to promote physical distancing compliance (i.e., a fearful picture, a red one-way arrow sign, and a norm-speech sticker). This study aimed to compare physical distancing compliance between our interventions and conventional interventions. Our study was a quasi-experiment, and we observed a representative sample of university canteen customers via closed-circuit television (CCTV). Each intervention was monitored over non-prime-time hours, per day, on 6–9 August 2020. Among the 400 participants (100 participants in each group), their age group, gender, and physical distancing practices were observed in a university canteen. The number of failures of physical distancing ranged between 93.8% and 17.6%, and on average between 84.2% and 34.2%, dependent on the intervention and the marking point. There were no statistically significant differences in promoting physical distancing compliance between our interventions compared with conventional interventions. However, the participants tended to practice physical distancing at the back of the queue more than at the front, regardless of the interventions.