Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries.

Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists.

Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset.

Science is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries.

Predicting attitudinal and behavioral responses to COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning.

At the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 became a global problem. Despite all the efforts to emphasize the relevance of preventive measures, not everyone adhered to them. Thus, learning more about the characteristics determining attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic is crucial to improving future interventions.

National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic.

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g.

Strategizing COVID-19 lockdowns using mobility patterns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have attempted to control infections within their territories by implementing border controls and lockdowns. While large-scale quarantine has been the most successful short-term policy, the enormous costs exerted by lockdowns over long periods are unsustainable. As such, developing more flexible policies that limit transmission without requiring large-scale quarantine is an urgent priority.

Driver Countries in Global Banking Network.

We analyze the network of cross-border bank lending connections among countries from 1977 to 2018. The network includes core countries that lend money and peripheral countries that borrow money from core countries. In nowadays highly connected banking network, financial crisis that start from a country can spread to other countries very fast and cause global affects.

Prevalence and long-term outcome of sub-clinical primary sclerosing cholangitis in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is closely associated with inflammatory bowel disease, particularly ulcerative colitis (UC), with an increased risk of biliary and colorectal malignancy. We sought to clarify the prevalence, characteristics and long-term outcome of sub-clinical PSC diagnosed by magnetic resonance cholangiogram (MRC) in patients with UC and normal liver biochemistry, with or without colorectal dysplasia (CRD).

Methods: In this prospective case-control study, 70 patients with UC and normal liver function (51 extensive UC, 19 CRD), 28 healthy volunteers (negative controls) and 28 patients with PSC and cholestasis (positive controls) underwent MRC and blood evaluation.

Helicobacter pylori as an occupational hazard in the endoscopy room.

Background: It remains controversial whether or not healthcare workers on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy teams are at risk of Helicobacter pylori infection. An association between occupational exposure and an increased risk of infection has been shown in a number of studies, while such a risk was not confirmed in others. None of these studies were conducted in Africa.

Beyond endoscopic mucosal healing in UC: histological remission better predicts corticosteroid use and hospitalisation over 6 years of follow-up.

Background: Endoscopic mucosal healing is an established treatment target for UC, yet the value of achieving histological remission remains unclear.

Aims: To evaluate histological remission compared to endoscopic mucosal healing for predicting patient outcomes in UC.

Methods: Blinded assessment of endoscopic and histological measures of disease activity was performed on patients with established UC at baseline.

Comparing disease activity indices in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Comparisons between disease activity indices for ulcerative colitis (UC) are few. This study evaluates three indices, to determine the potential impact of inter-observer variation on clinical trial recruitment or outcome as well as their clinical relevance.

Methods: One hundred patients with UC were prospectively evaluated, each by four specialists, followed by videosigmoidoscopy, which was later scored by each specialist.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis, Crohn's disease and HLA-B27 in black South African women.

Crohn's disease is rare in South African black people and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is also rare in black patients with IBD, from South Africa. The presence of HLA-B27 is generally associated with seronegative spondylo-arthropathies and correlates with the occurrence of ankylosing spondylitis, recurrent mouth ulcers and uveitis, in patients with IBD. We describe two women with the combination of Crohn's disease, PSC and HLA-B27 from our cohort of the last 5 years of three black patients with Crohn's disease.

Changes in the management and outcome of rectal cancer over a 10-year period in Oxford.

Aim: The changes in the management and outcome of rectal cancer in Oxford were studied over a 10-year period.

Method: Rectal cancer data using a prospectively collected data base were divided into curative (global) and palliative groups. The global curative group was further divided into those with and without (selected group) the following features: emergency cases, local excision, salvage surgery for recurrence or incomplete local excision, metastatic disease, perioperative death, hereditary cancer, inflammatory bowel disease-related cancer, and synchronous cancer.

An uncommon cause of visceral arterial embolism in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain: a report of 2 cases.

We report on 2 cases of visceral arterial embolism presenting with acute abdominal pain. In neither patient a cause could be established on initial clinical, laboratory, echographic or radiological investigation. Both patients were subsequently found to have a mural thrombus in the thoracic aorta, with visceral arterial embolism.

Addition of senna improves quality of colonoscopy preparation with magnesium citrate.

Aim: To prospectively investigate the effectiveness and patient's tolerance of two low-cost bowel cleansing preparation protocols based on magnesium citrate only or the combination of magnesium citrate and senna.

Methods: A total of 342 patients who were referred for colonoscopy underwent a colon cleansing protocol with magnesium citrate alone (n = 160) or magnesium citrate and senna granules (n = 182). The colonoscopist rated the overall efficacy of colon cleansing using an established score on a 4-point scale.

Cytomegalovirus colitis in an apparently immunecompetent host after biliopancreatic diversion for obesity.

CMV colitis in an immunocompetent host is a rare occurrence. We report a case of CMV colitis after biliopancreatic diversion surgery. The diagnosis of primary CMV infection with CMV colitis was based on histological examination of tissues biopsies obtained at colonoscopy, serology positive for CMV-IgM and CMV-IgG antibodies and a good response to systemic gancyclovir treatment.

Endoscopic trimming of metallic stents with the use of argon plasma.

Background: The endoscopic placement of metallic stents for palliation of malignant obstruction of the GI or biliary tract is an established practice and as such is often applied. Use of these stents, however, has its problems. Stent migration may cause obstruction of the bowel lumen.

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia, portal vein thrombosis, and avascular hip necrosis due to hyperhomocysteinaemia.

A male patient with portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, spontaneous splenorenal shunt formation, and encephalopathy, thought to have post-hepatitis B cirrhosis, is described. His condition deteriorated and necessitated liver transplantation. In the explant liver, nodular regenerative hyperplasia with pronounced vascular lesions both in portal venules and in arterioles was found instead of classical cirrhosis.

Diffuse malignant mesothelioma of the pleura--intrapleural treatment with doxorubicin.

The diagnosis of diffuse mesothelioma of the pleura means a very bad prognosis. The average survival of our own cases, controlled by autopsy, was 16.4 months (n = 36) for symptomatically treated patients and 16.