Given the many approaches to and definitions of gender responsive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for health programs and interventions there is a lack of clarity on how to operationalize it including what to measure and how to measure it. We conducted a scoping review to understand what makes M&E gender responsive. We included 31 studies and conducted two rounds of extraction to delineate ways in which gender was integrated into M&E. Twelve articles described the use of theory to guide M&E though most were not related to gender. Twelve articles employed a gender score in data collection, most of which measured Likert scale responses related to gender equity. Even though most studies did not use a specific gender framework, most incorporated gender domains in their analysis. Seven studies used participatory methods in the design and implementation of M&E. Most studies conducted M&E on programs or interventions that were designed to be gender intentional and related to gender issues. Gender responsive M&E intentionally integrates gender into the M&E process, regardless of how gender-intentional the program or intervention is. Gender dimensions can be identified through gender theories, models, scores, and frameworks to inform tool development, data collection, analysis, and stakeholder engagement processes.

Brown rice is a familiar whole grain in Japan. We examined national trends in brown rice consumption among Japanese adults aged ≥ 20 years old, using individual-level data from the National Health and Nutrition Surveys conducted between 2012 and 2019. We employed multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with brown rice consumption. The 95th percentile of daily brown rice intake remained at 0.0 grams throughout the study period. The percentage of brown rice consumers increased from 1.8% (95% confidence interval: 1.6–2.1) in 2012 to 2.3% (95% confidence interval: 1.8–3.0) in 2019. Compared with individuals who consumed only white rice, brown rice consumers had significantly higher mean intake levels of macronutrients, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Brown rice consumption was positively associated with certain sociodemographic characteristics (being female, older age, residing in a major city, living without very young children, and having higher education levels) and health behaviors (lower body mass index, engaging in regular exercise, and being a former or never smoker). Despite its potential nutritional benefits in balanced diets, only a small fraction of adults in Japan consume brown rice, indicating a need for further promotion, particularly among individuals with characteristics associated with brown rice consumption.

Coronaviruses constitute a global threat to human and animal health. It is essential to investigate the long-distance RNA-RNA interactions that approximate remote regulatory elements in strategies, including genome circularization, discontinuous transcription, and transcriptional enhancers, aimed at rapid replication of their large genomes, pathogenicity, and immune evasion. Based on the primary sequences and modeled RNA-RNA interactions of two experimentally de-fined coronaviral enhancers, we detected via in silico primary and secondary structural analysis potential enhancers in various coronaviruses, from the phylogenetically ancient avian IBV to the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2. These potential enhancers possess a core duplex-forming region that could transition between closed and open states, as molecular switches directed by viral or host factors. The open state would permit the enhancer to pair with remote sequences in the viral genome and modulate the expression of crucial genes involved in viral replication and host immune evasion. Consistently, variations in the predicted IBV enhancer region or its distant targets coincide with cases of viral attenuation possibly driven by decreased expression of the ORF3a immune evasion protein. The annotated enhancer sequences could inform structural prediction tools and antiviral interventions if validated experimentally.

Due to bacterial contamination, natural medicinal preservatives may be an alternative to enhance the quality of milk. Besides, thorough biocompatibility testing is deemed essential before integrating natural extracts into food products. To address this matter, our research focused on evaluating the antimicrobial potential of Plectranthus amboinicus, Flueggea leucopyrus, Cymbopogon citratus, and Bacopa monnieri against prevalent foodborne pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigating the efficacy of plant extracts as natural preservatives along with biocompatibility and toxicity assessments. The methanolic extracts of plant materials were used for measuring antimicrobial activity using the agar well diffusion method, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. The preservative activity was tested by isolating pathogenic organisms in a sterilized milk medium and toxicity and biocompatibility was assessed using zebrafish embryo and brine shrimp lethality assays. At a concentration of 400 mg/ml, all plant extracts demonstrated notable activity against bacterial strains. B. monnieri at 400 mg/ml exhibited particularly significant effects on S. aureus (30.3 mm ± 0.6), surpassing the positive control, gentamicin (28.3 mm ± 0.6), while also displaying pronounced activity against E. coli. F. leucopyrus, at the same concentration, showed antimicrobial activity comparable to the positive control against both S. aureus (28.0 mm ± 1.0) and E. coli (27.0 mm ± 1.0). However, as there’s weak-mild toxicity in these herbs, prior to consumption, careful consideration of their toxicity and biocompatibility is imperative for ensuring their safe use.

In August 4 2011, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) submitted an unprecedented, scientific, groundbreaking Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) of Ogoniland, to the Nigerian government. This was the outcome of a 14–month intensive evaluation of the extent of pollution. It was intended that UNEP’s recommendations would be implemented to restore the devastated environment, on the one hand, and on the other, counteract the numerous environmental health issues that have for decades, plagued Ogoniland. However, five years post EAR, and, despite the seriousness of the situation, no significant resolution has occurred, both on the part of the government, and on the part of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) or Shell. To date, millions of Niger Delta residents, particularly those living in the oil-bearing communities, continue to suffer severe consequences. Although, the assessment was conducted in Ogoniland, other communities in the Niger Delta are also affected. This article explores prevailing issues, using Ogoniland (a microcosm of the Niger Delta) as an example. A multidisciplinary approach for sustainable mitigation of environmental health risks in the Niger Delta is paramount, and Environmental Management tools offer valuable strategies. Adopting UNEP’s recommendations for addressing environmental health problems requires implementing the Environmental Management/Environmental Management System (EM/EMS) model.

Plant-based essential oils are important natural products rich in volatile compounds, and they have various applications in medicine, food, perfumery and cosmetics. These substances can be produced using various methods, such as steam distillation and solvent extraction. Their chemical composition is influenced by geographical and climatic conditions, production methods, and intrinsic factors. Published articles and literature were scanned to gather the required information. Previous studies have shown that essential oils possess chief health benefits, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and psychological effects. Consequently, they have wide applications in the food industry as preservatives in food systems and in active packaging, edible coating, probiotic foods, and flavoring. Essential oils can be successfully utilized in flavoring foods and beverages such as cheese, ice cream, and soft drinks. Despite their great antimicrobial and flavoring roles, it is important to further investigate their possible interactions with food components and the physiochemical characteristics of foods flavored with essential oils.

Promoting green development has become an important way to optimize the ecological and economic structure and promote sustainable development. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important economic corridor in China, and it remains to be examined whether the implementation of environmental regulations has enhanced the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of cities. This paper calculates the green total factor productivity of 107 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt by using the super-efficient SBM model and the GML index with Chinese city panel data from 2007-2019 and measures the intensity of environmental regulations through textual analysis. The bidirectional fixed-effects model constructed in this paper suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and GTFP, which is confirmed by a series of robustness tests. Green technology innovation and advanced industrial structure play a mechanism role in this. In regions with lower levels of green technology and industrial structure, the inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green total factor productivity is more significant. In addition, the phenomenon of GTFP rising and then falling because of environmental regulation is more obvious in cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and outside the urban agglomerations. Therefore, when formulating environmental regulation policies, it is necessary to balance the relationship between economic development and environmental protection and harmonize the environment and economic development of the entire Yangtze River Basin.

There is growing interest in the discovery of novel xanthine oxidase inhibitors for gout prevention and treatment with fewer side effects. This study aimed to identify the xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory potential and drug-likeness of the metabolites present in the methanolic leaves extract of Anastatica (A.) hierochuntica L. using in vitro and in silico models. The extract-derived metabolites were identified by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Molecular docking predicted the XO inhibitory activity of the identified metabolites and validated the best scored in vitro XO inhibitory activities for experimental verification as well as predictions of their anticancer, pharmacokinetic and toxic properties, oral bioavailability, and endocrine disruption using SwissADMET, PASS, ProTox-II and Endocrine Disruptome web servers. A total of 12 metabolites with a majority of flavonoids were identified. Rutin, quercetin and luteolin flavonoids demonstrated the highest ranked docking score of -12.39, -11.15 and -10.43, respectively, while the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of these metabolites against XO activity were 11.35 µM, 11.1 µM and 21.58 µM, respectively. In addition, SwissADMET generated data related to physicochemical properties and drug-likeness of the metabolites. Similarly, PASS, ProTox-II and Endocrine Disruptome prediction models stated the safe and potential use of these natural compounds. However, in vivo studies are necessary to support the development of prominent and promising therapeutic use of A. hierochuntica methanolic leaves extract-derived metabolites as XO inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of hyperuricemic and gout patients. Furthermore, the predicted findings of the present study open a new paradigm for these extract-derived metabolites by revealing novel oncogenic targets for the potential treatment of human malignancies.

Background: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is a complicated disease that affects millions of people all over the world. Previous studies have shown that PASC impacts 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients of which 50-70% are hospitalized. It has also been shown that 10-12% of those vaccinated against COVID-19 were affected with PASC and its complications. The severity and the later development of PASC symptoms is positively associated with the early intensity of the infection. Results: The generated health complications caused by PASC involve a vast variety of organ systems. Patients affected by PASC have been diagnosed with neuropsychiatric and neurological symptoms. Cardiovascular system also has been involved and several diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis, and coronary artery diseases were reported. Chronic hematological problems such as thrombotic endothelialitis and hypercoagulability were described as a condition that could increase the risk of clotting disorders and coagulopathy in PASC patients. Chest pain, breathlessness, and cough in PASC patients were associated with respiratory system in long COVID-19 causing respiratory distress syndrome. The observed immune complications were notable, involving several diseases. Renal system also was impacted and result in raising the risk of diseases such as thrombotic issues, fibrosis, and sepsis. Endocrine gland malfunction can lead to diabetes, thyroiditis, and male infertility. Symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and taste were also among reported observations due to several gastrointestinal disorders. Skin abnormalities might be an indication of infection and long-term implications such as persistent cutaneous complaints were linked to PASC. Conclusions: Long COVID is a multidimensional syndrome with considerable public health implications, affecting several physiological systems and demanding thorough medical therapy as well as more study to address its underlying causes and long-term effects.

(1) Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) viral load (VL) is useful in determining treatment eligibility, however, due to high costs associated with the test, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) is recommended as a proxy for HBV VL in resource-limited settings. (2) Methods: We used 299 archived plasma samples with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBeAg, and HBV VL (cut-off of 20,000 IU/mL and 200,000 IU/mL) results from people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). HBeAg and HBV VL results were analyzed to evaluate the use of HBeAg to determine CHB treatment eligibility and qualification of HBV prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) prophylaxis for the first time in Botswana. (3) Results: Approximately 70.8% and 87.5% of participants with HBeAg-positive serology had HBV viral loads ≥20,000 IU/mL and 200,000 IU/mL respectively. Using logistic regression, the odds of having a qualifying HBV VL for CHB treatment and PMTCT prophylaxis were respectively 55.5 and 110.4 times higher in participants with positive HBeAg serology indicating a statistically significant association between HBeAg status and HBV VL. (4) Conclusions: HBeAg detection may not always correlate with high HBV VL, warranting further research focusing on this association, and other biomarkers that correlate better with HBV VL.

A total of 27 microsatellites markers , scattered all over the genom of barley, were used for characterization,and diversity analysis in 33 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions and cultivars of Algeria.Over the 27 genetic loci studied, 110 alleles were identified with a mean of 4.1 alleles per locus and the average polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.46,the marker Ebma0806 showed the greatest value of PIC with 0.83.Genetic diversity at 27 microsatellite loci varied from 0 to 0.84 (Mean=0.50) for 33 Algerian cultivars. The genetic distance among the cultivars ranged from 0.2 to 0.85. Cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on the SSR data clearly differentiate the all genotypes studied.

The theory and working principle of fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) is presented that eloquently explains the mystery behind this new and powerful sample preparation technique. FPSE innovatively integrates the benefits of sol-gel coating technology and the rich surface chemistry of cellulose/polyester/fiberglass fabric, resulting in a microextraction device with very high sorbent loading in the form of an ultra-thin coating. This porous sorbent coating and the permeable substrate synergistically facilitate very fast extraction equilibrium. The flexibility of the FPSE device allows for direct insertion into original, unmodified samples of different origin. Strong chemical bonding between the sol-gel sorbent and the fabric substrate permits the exposure of FPSE devices to any organic solvent for analyte back-extraction/elution and to highly acidic or basic environments (pH 1-12) if required. A sol-gel derived sorbent, highly polar sol-gel poly(ethylene glycol) coating, was generated on cellulose substrates. Five cm2 segments of these coated fabrics were used as the FPSE devices for sample preparation using direct immersion. An important class of environmental pollutants, substituted phenols, was used as model compounds to evaluate the extraction performance of FPSE. The high primary contact surface area (PCSA) of the FPSE device and porous structure of the sol-gel coatings resulted in very high sample capacities and incredible extraction sensitivities for both the compound classes in a relatively short period of time. Different extraction parameters were evaluated and optimized. The new extraction devices demonstrated part per trillion level detection limits for substitute phenols, a wide range of detection linearity, and good performance reproducibility.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a serious public health threat that affects the most vulnerable population. Patients who are LTFU after TB diagnosis still represent one of the biggest challenges to TB control. Method: In this prospective observational study, we aimed to identify and analyse the risk factors associated with LTFU among TB patients who started first-line TB treatment in the Sanatorium Hospital in Luanda. Result: A total of 113 patients with TB were included between August 2018 and September 2019. Seventy-six (67.3%) patients were cured, 27 (23.9%) were LTFU, 5 (4.4%) died, 4 (3.5%) were transferred and 1 (0.9%) presented a treatment failure. After excluding those dead, transferred or who failed to treatment, we observed that severe TB at the time of diagnosis (OR 9.24, 95% CI 2.18-39.04) and food insecurity were significantly associated with LTFU (OR 5.96, 95% CI 1.66-21.41). Conclusion: The findings of our study are of enormous value to understand the reasons for the LTFU of patients with TB and can guide polices and facilitate designing measures to allow better adherence, and therefore, greater treatment success

Preventing COVID-19 in Gaza is crucial due to the devastation of advanced health services infrastructure by war. Despite the high protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines against severe disease, a 2021 survey in Gaza found only half of the population vaccinated and one-third vaccine hesitant. This follow-up study conducted in March 2023 aimed to re-evaluate vaccination levels, hesitancy, exposure to vaccine promotion efforts, and other risk factors in Gaza. A community-based cross-sectional survey with multistage stratified sampling was used. Associations of primary exposures and other determinants with vaccine status and hesitancy were quantified using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. In 2023, 63.5% of adults received at least one vaccine dose compared to 49.1% in 2021. Vaccine hesitancy prevalence was 31.7% in 2023 versus 34.1% in 2021 (p=0.395). Adjusted odds of vaccination were 4.2 times higher among those referred by health workers compared to those not referred. Adjusted odds of vaccine hesitancy among those who received information on the vaccine from health workers were 0.3 times that of people who did not receive information. Results suggest health workers could play a crucial role in future vaccination strategies, as their vaccine promotion efforts were linked to better vaccine outcomes. Investing in the skills development of community health workers to contribute to these efforts is recommended.

Maize is an important staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the average grain yield on farmers’ fields falls considerably short of the demand of the region’s population. In addition, the normal endosperm maize widely consumed in SSA is deficient in vitamin A. Drought, a consequence of climate change, is a major constraint to maize production, resulting in seasonal low grain yield in farmers’ fields. The objectives of this study were to assess the performance of newly developed extra-early maturing provitamin A hybrids under managed drought and well-watered conditions, compare the outcomes of multiple trait base-index and multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index selection procedures, and identify drought-tolerant hybrids with stable performance across contrasting environments for commercialization in SSA. One hundred and ninety provitamin A hybrids and six checks were evaluated under managed drought and well-watered conditions at Ikenne for two seasons between 2021 and 2023. A 14*14-lattice design was used for the field evaluations under both research conditions. Drought stress was achieved by the complete withdrawal of irrigation water 25 days after planting. Results revealed significant differences among the hybrids under drought and well-watered conditions. Grain yield, ears per plant, and plant aspect under managed drought were correlated to the same traits under well-watered conditions suggesting that the expression of these traits is governed by common genetic factors. Twenty-nine hybrids were identified as top-performing drought-tolerant hybrids by the multiple trait base index and multiple-trait genotype–ideotype distance index. Of the selected outstanding 29 hybrids, 34% were derived from crosses involving the tester TZEEIOR 197, demonstrating the outstanding genetic potential of this inbred line. Further analysis of the 29 selected hybrids revealed TZEEIOR 509 × TZEEIOR 197 as the hybrid that combined the most drought-tolerant adaptive traits. However, the hybrids TZEEIOR 526 × TZEEIOR 97, TZEEIOR 384 × TZEEIOR 30, TZEEIOR 515 × TZEEIOR 249, TZEEIOR 510 × TZEEIOR 197, TZEEIOR 479 × TZEEIOR 197, and TZEEIOR 458 × TZEEIOR 197 were identified as the most stable hybrids across drought and well-watered conditions. These hybrids should be extensively tested in multi-location trials for deployment and commercialization in SSA.

Patients from regions without stem cell transplant (SCT) facilities often seek treatment abroad and return home for post-transplant care. While extensive data exists on GVHD and its risk factors, the prevalence of GVHD in international SCT patients returning to countries without transplant facilities, where multiple factors compromise post-transplant care, is not well documented. We screened 149 transplant recipients and analyzed data from 91 who received transplants abroad and were followed at our center from January 2019 to December 2022. This observational study used data from electronic medical records (EMR) and employed descriptive statistics, inferential tests, and relative risk calculations with forest plots to analyze GVHD prevalence and key risk factors. Of the recipients, 31.8% were residents from nine countries living in the UAE, and 67.2% were UAE citizens. Adults comprised 48.3% of the recipients, and 51.7% were pediatric. Hematological malignancies were the most common indication (49%), primarily in adults. Siblings were the majority of donors (52.6%), followed by related donors (23.09%), and unrelated donors (8.9%). Most (69.2%) received HLA-identical transplants followed by 21.9% who received haploidentical. Among adults, 62.2% developed GVHD, compared to 26% of pediatric patients. Recipients with related HLA-identical donors had a 50% GVHD prevalence, while those with unrelated identical donors had 71%. The overall GVHD prevalence was 50% among the 87.9% who received allogeneic SCTs. Despite favorable factors, GVHD prevalence remains high. Larger multicenter studies are needed to identify and assess the impact of contributing factors.

In the intersection of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning (ML), the choice between high-level and low-level programming libraries presents a significant dilemma for developers, impacting not only the efficiency and effectiveness of ML models but also their environmental footprint. We have proposed a comprehensive framework to aid in this decision-making process, underpinned by a detailed comparative analysis of both types of libraries on one of the key IoT ML task; image classification. We have introduced a novel algorithm designed to calculate the green footprint of ML model training, factoring in execution time, memory utilization, power consumption, and CPU temperature, addressing the urgent need for sustainable ML practices. Through an empirical evaluation of popular libraries such as PyTorch for high-level and Libtorch for low-level development, we have assessed their performance, development efficiency, and hardware compatibility. The culmination of our research is a decision support system that synthesizes the experimental findings to guide developers toward choices that harmonize model performance with environmental sustainability.

Long COVID-19 affects a significant percentage of survivors and is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including weariness and mental fog as well as emotional symptoms like worry and sadness. COVID-19 is closely linked to the autoimmune disorders that are becoming more prevalent worldwide and are linked to the immune system hyperactivation, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) development, and molecular mimicry pathways. Long-term COVID-related autoimmune responses include a watchful immune system, altered innate and adaptive immune cells, autoantigens secreted by living or dead neutrophils, and high concentrations of autoantibodies directed against different proteins. The microbiome, which consists of billions of bacteria living in the human body, is essential for controlling immune responses and supporting overall health. The microbiome can affect the course of long-term COVID-associated autoimmunity, including the degree of illness, the rate of recovery, and the onset of autoimmune reactions. Although the precise role of the microbiome in long COVID autoimmunity is still being investigated, new studies indicate that probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary changes—interventions that target the microbiome—may be able to reduce autoimmune reactions and enhance long-term outcomes for COVID-19 survivors. It is clear that more research is required to precisely understand how the microbiome affects COVID-19-related autoimmunity and to create tailored treatment plans.

Moso bamboo is famous for fast growing and biomass accumulation, as well as high annual output for timber and bamboo shoots. These high outputs require high nutrient inputs to maintain and improve stand productivity. Soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important micronutrients for plant growth and productivity. Due to high variability of soils, analysing spatial patterns of soil N, P and K stocks is necessary for scientific nutrient management in Moso bamboo forests. In this study, soils were sampled from 138 locations across Yong’an City and ordinary kriging was applied for spatial interpolation of soil N, P and K stocks. Soil N stock showed a strong spatial dependence while soil N and P stocks presented a moderate spatial dependence, indicating soil N was mainly controlled by intrinsic factors while soil N and P stocks were controlled by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Different spatial patterns were observed for soil N, P and K stocks across the whole study area, indicating that fertilizations with different ratios of N:P:K should be applied for different sites to maintain and improve stand productivity. The total soil N, P and K stocks within 0-60 cm were 0.624, 0.020 and 0.583 Tg, respectively.

As the world population grows, fulfilling the need for biomaterials in the healthcare system becomes increasingly important. Biomaterials, which include metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, play an important role in the creation of medical devices that improve people's lives. The European Society for Biomaterials described biomaterials as non-biological materials used in medical devices to interact with biological systems. This definition has developed to encompass materials that treat, assess, or replace tissues or bodily functions. Biocompatibility, as defined by the FDA, is a key feature of biomaterials, as is the requirement to fulfil design requirements such as mechanical performance, geometry, and electrical control. Over the last decade, advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have boosted biomaterials' usage in medical applications dramatically. Despite its promise, scientists, engineers, and physicians continue to face significant challenges due to the complexity of biomaterials. Biomaterials have various benefits, including biodegradability, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, making them extremely useful for replacing, sustaining, or improving biological activities in damaged tissues. They are used in a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering implants, human tissue healing and regeneration, medication delivery systems, and biosensors. This study gives insights into the fundamental characteristics, case studies, and ethical issues associated with the usage and use of biomaterials, further examining their potential and significance in healthcare and medicine.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare and aggressive form of uterine cancer, with a poor prognosis and high number of uterine cancer-related deaths. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an immunotherapy approach to antigen specific of cancer cell, thereby enhancing the immune system's ability to target and destroy cancer cells. This study aims to investigate the potential of targeting differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as a novel therapeutic strategy using CAR T-cell technology in LMS. Genome datasets were obtained from NCBI-GEO database, Of the five datasets, genes that experienced significant overexpression in at least three datasets were categorized as DEGs, and DEGs were evaluated for protein localization, Gene Ontology, bioactivity, interaction, and overexpression. The results identified 25 DEGs, with ten of them expressed on the plasma membrane; four of them—HMMR, KIF20A, PRC1, and ZWINT—were part of the main protein network derived from the 25 DEGs. The dominant bioactivity of these PMGs involves influencing the cell cycle, particularly processes related to chromosome segregation. In conclusion, HMMR, KIF20A, PRC1, and ZWINT are high-potential DEGs as candidates for tumor-associated antigen CAR T-cell therapy. Further research, both in vitro and in vivo, is needed to enhance the validity of these findings.

Amid the array of challenges prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy response of governments proved vital. The U.S. states pursued varied policy approaches that demonstrated distinct divergences in impact. Particularly, contrasting state contexts produced markedly assorted frameworks for the delivery of public health services, which indicate potential effects for COVID-19 policy implementation. Using the rates of COVID-19 vaccinations as a measure of policy execution, the purpose of this study is to examine the political and administrative influences contributing to differences in COVID-19 public health policy outcomes among the U.S. states. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models included data sources of nationally representative information pertaining to state public health attributes of politics and administration during the height of the pandemic and vaccine campaign. The findings suggest that state political and fiscal orientations display significant associations with COVID-19 vaccination disparities, while other administrative indicators did not. The results signal important policy implications for the politics-administration dynamic within the COVID-19 pandemic and offer further understanding toward the roles of federalism and governance in future public health emergencies.

Inherited cardiomyopathies are a diverse group of heart muscle diseases caused by genetic mutations that result in structural and functional abnormalities of the myocardium. Understanding genotype-phenotype correlations in these conditions is vital for personalized cardiac medicine, enabling targeted therapeutic strategies and predictive diagnostics. This review explores the major types of inherited cardiomyopathies—hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM)—and provides detailed insights into how different genetic mutations manifest as clinical features. The integration of multi-omics approaches and advanced disease modeling techniques has enhanced our ability to dissect these correlations. The review also discusses the implications of these findings for personalized medicine, including tailored therapeutic strategies, predictive diagnostics, and future research directions.

Early childhood may be a stressful period for families with a significant impact on parents’ mental health and the child’s healthy development. The goal of the SKKIPPI cohort study was to assess the occurrence and determinants of psychosocial stress and mental health disorders in parents as well as in their offspring in early childhood in three German regions. Based on random samples from three residents' registration offices, parents with infants up to 12 months of age at the time of sampling, were invited to participate in the study. A screening online questionnaire was newly developed, available in four languages, to assess common psy-chosocial stressors and mental health problems of parents with small children. The study enrolled 4,984 mothers and 962 fathers. The most common potential psychosocial stressors at baseline were professional problems (mothers 22%, fathers 33%), lack of social sup-port (20%, 14%), and severe, negative experiences in childhood (22%, 16%). Obses-sive-compulsive thoughts (21%, 16%), depressive (9%, 9%) and anxiety symptoms (11%, 7%) were the most frequently reported mental health problems by both parents. Regulatory prob-lems of the child were reported by between 1.5% and 5.1% of parents. The SKKIPPI study showed that a substantial proportion of parents are burdened by psychoso-cial problems and suffer from mental health problems in the first years after birth. Early pre-ventive and low-threshold support measures should be available in the health and social care system. The newly developed questionnaire can be used to screen in the relevant populations in order to avoid disturbances in the mother-child attachment.

This article delves into the enduring relevance of Liberal International Relations (IR) Theory amidst persistent criticisms regarding power dynamics and its applicability in emerging states. Despite its detractors, Liberal IR Theory offers a nuanced understanding of state behavior, blending social contexts with power dynamics. It recognizes the intricacies of economic interdependence and advocates for a balanced approach in advancing democracy and human rights. While nationalism poses challenges to international institutions, their adaptability endures. Leaders, albeit constrained, retain the capacity to foster peace through visionary leadership and global cooperation. By acknowledging its limitations and fostering open dialogue, Liberal IR Theory continues to evolve, poised to contribute to a just and peaceful global order.

Brucellosis is a zoonoses caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which causes economic losses in livestock and threatens public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Brucella species and risk factors in smallholder dairy cattle in six regions of Tanzania from July 2019 to October 2020. Dairy cattle (n=2048) were sampled from 1371 farms. DNA ex-tracted from blood and vaginal swabs was tested for Brucella using qPCR targeting the IS711 gene and positives were tested for the alkB marker for B. abortus and BMEI1172 marker for B. melitensis. The molecular prevalence was 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8-4.4) with the highest prevalence 8.1% (95%CI: 4.6-13.0) in Njombe region. B. melitensis was the predominant species detected (66.2%). Logistic regression revealed PCR positivity in dairy cattle was higher in the animals with a history of abortion (OR: 3.17, 95%CI: 1.05-9.62) and farms without dogs around (OR: 2.68, 95%CI: 1.12-5.90). Further studies are recommended to understand the source of B. melitensis and the implications to veterinary public health. Livestock keepers should be informed of the risks and biosecurity practices to reduce introduction and control Brucella. Cattle and small ruminant vaccination pro-grams could be implemented to control brucellosis in high-risk populations in the country.

Heavy metal accumulation in soils used for agricultural purposes is a major issue as it can affect the growth of plants and contain health risks as plants containing heavy metals are taken as food. This study provided the potential of three Bacillus pumilus strains (C-2PMW-8, C-1 SSK-8, and C-1PWK-7) for mitigation of the health factors related to heavy metals on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown in chromium contaminated soil from activities related to mining. Lettuce seeds inoculated with B. pumilus strains were grown in pots with garden soil amended with varying amount of chromite mine soil (2.27%, 4.65%, 7.14%). Growth indicators like days to germination, percentage of germination, leaf weight, leaf area and rate of survival decreased with incremental soil chromium levels but improved highly with inoculation of B. pumilus compared to uninoculated controls. When B. pumilus strains were provided, there was also a decreased level in the buildup of chromium in soil as well as lettuce shoots. The results explains that plant growth-promoting B. pumilus strains may be able to lower down the detrimental effects of chromium on lettuce development, hence increment in the effectiveness of phytoremediation.

Mortality in children accounts for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths globally, with a higher burden among Cameroonian children (25%), likely due to poor virological response. We sought to evaluate viral suppression (VS) and its determinants in a nationally representative paediatric and young adult population receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). A cross-sectional and multicentric study was conducted among Cameroonian children (

Background: Disparity in adult mortality (AM) with reference to social dynamics and health care has not been sufficiently examined. This study aimed to identify the gap in the understanding of AM in relation to religion, political stability, economic level, and universal health coverage (UHC). Methods: A cross-national study was performed with different sources of data, using the administrative record linkage theory. We created a new data set using data from the 2013 World Bank data catalogue by region, The Economist (Political instability index 2013), Stuckler David et al. (Universal health coverage, 2010), and religious categories of all UN country members. Descriptive statistics, a t-test, an ANOVA followed by a post hoc test, and a linear regression were used where applicable. Result: The average AM rate for males and females was 0.20 ± 0.10 and 0.14 ± 0.10, respectively. AM was significantly higher in economically weak countries, countries with political instability, countries with traditional religion, without achievement of UHC, and Sub-Saharan Africa (p<0.01). There was high disparity of AM between countries with and without UHC (F = male: 61.89, female: 51.85, p<0.001) and between groups with low and high income (F = male: 36.33, female: 42.39, p<0.001). UHC and political stability would significantly reduce AMR by > 0.41 in both sexes and high economic status would reduce male AMR by 0.44, and female AMR by 0.70, in relation to countries without UHC, with political instability, and low economic status. Conclusions: Disparities in AM can be reduced after the achievement of UHC and economically productive activities for those adults affected by conflict and political unrest.

Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between poor vitamin D status and respiratory infections and diarrhea among young children. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and diarrhea are among the two most important causes of death in under-5 children. In this analysis, we examine the extent to which vitamin-D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) predicts these outcomes using data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily folic acid and/ or vitamin B12 supplementation for six months in 6 to 30 months old children conducted in Delhi, India. Of the 960 subjects who had vitamin-D concentrations measured, 331(34.5%) were vitamin-D deficient. We found, after controlling for relevant potential confounders (age, sex, breastfeeding status, wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia status at base line and season), the risk of ALRI was significantly higher among vitamin-D deficient (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.55) compared to vitamin-D-replete children in the six months follow-up period. Vitamin-D status was not significantly associated with episodes of diarrhea and clinical pneumonia. The extent of causal relationship of vitamin-D status and ALRI needs to be explored in further studies.

Pragmatic trials aim to assess intervention efficacy in usual patient care settings, contrasting with explanatory trials conducted under controlled conditions. In aging research, pragmatic trials are important designs for obtaining real-world evidence in elderly populations, which are often underrepresented in trials. In this review, we discuss statistical considerations from a frequentist approach for the design and analysis of pragmatic trials. When choosing the dependent variable, it is essential to use an outcome that is highly relevant to usual medical care while also providing sufficient statistical power. Besides traditionally used binary outcomes, ordinal outcomes can provide pragmatic answers with gains in statistical power. Cluster randomization requires careful consideration of sample size calculation and analysis methods, especially regarding missing data and outcome variables. Mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) are recommended for analysis to account for center effects, with tools available for sample size estimation. Multi-arm studies pose challenges in sample size calculation, requiring adjustment for design effects and consideration of multiple comparison correction methods. Secondary analyses are common but require caution due to the risk of reduced statistical power and false-discovery rates. Safety data collection methods should balance pragmatism and data quality. Overall, understanding statistical considerations is crucial for designing rigorous pragmatic trials that evaluate interventions in elderly populations under real-world conditions. In conclusion, this review focuses on various statistical topics of interest to those designing a pragmatic clinical trial, with consideration of aspects of relevance in the aging research field.

Abstract: Although the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia syndrome has been better understood in recent decades, a unified model of its pathogenesis and an effective therapeutic approach are still far from being realized. The main aim of this article will be to delve into the fundamental mechanisms of the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia conceptualized as stress intolerance syndrome. Using the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain syndromes, we will describe the potential role of the attachment system, C tactile fibers, and oxytocinergic system dysfunction in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia syndrome and other central sensitivity syndromes. At the end of the article, the therapeutic implications of this new global and translational pathophysiological model will be briefly discussed.

The field of biobanking human biospecimens has evolved significantly, transitioning from the basic, often poorly documented collection of clinical leftovers kept privately to well-organized and extensively documented collections overseen by both commercial and non-profit platforms. The increasing demand for high-quality and clinically annotated biospecimens is propelled by unprecedented levels of health research activities. Meeting this growing demand presents both new opportunities and challenges, particularly in developing strategies to establish international biospecimen sourcing (IBS) platforms. These platforms aim to facilitate collaboration among biobanks to address future biospecimen needs. In this manuscript, we delve into the advantages and challenges of establishing IBS platforms to provide high-quality and cost-effective biospecimens to drive drug discovery research, ultimately leading to improved health and quality of life for everyone.

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganism able to receive light from sunlight and external light sources for their growth. Despite the simplicity of cultivation and their widespread presence, the growth of microalgae is affected by several factors, light intensity being a crucial one as it is linked to external environmental conditions. On the other hand, microalgae cultivation in wastewater with high nitrogen content has become a promising alternative as a low cost nutrients substrate method. However, effluents may contain many compounds, making therefore difficult the assessment of light intensity on cells growth profile and especially on nutrients assimilation rate. The aim of this study was the examination of the effect of intensity of light source on the growth and nutrient uptake rates by a freshwater microalgae, Chlorella sorokiniana in the effluent from an anaerobic digestion plant, with nitrogen content reaching up to 5 g/L. Microalgae were cultivated using three light intensities (1,500, 5,000 and 12,000 lx) in 10% digestate mixtures in water. Samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of microalgae cells, while aqueous phase samples were subjected to the analysis of nitrogen and phosphorous content. Biomass productivity followed the light intensity pattern: the highest the light the highest the cells growth. A similar pattern was observed in the reduction rate of nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations; however, nutrients reduction rate per gram of microalgae were mainly associated to biomass growth rate, indicating that the effect of light intensity was significant for biomass growth, without however changing the main nutrients assimilation pathway. In addition, results indicated that under high light intensity, microalgae might change their metabolism towards formation of lipids against nitrogenous compounds.

Pedestrian trajectories are crucial for self-driving cars to plan their paths effectively. The sensors implanted in these self-driving vehicles, despite being state-of-the-art ones, often face inaccuracies in the perception of surrounding environments due to technical challenges for adverse weather conditions, interference from other vehicles sensors and electronic devices, and signal reception failure, leading to incompleteness in trajectory data. But for real-time decision making for autonomous driving, the trajectory imputation is no less crucial. Previous attempts to address this issue such as statistical inference and machine learning approaches have shown promise. Yet, the landscape of deep learning is rapidly evolving with new and more robust models emerging. In this research, we have proposed an encoder-decoder architecture, Human Trajectory Imputation Model, coined as HTIM, to tackle these challenges. This architecture aims to fill in the missing parts of pedestrian trajectories. The model has been evaluated using the Intersection drone inD dataset, containing trajectory data at suitable altitudes preserving naturalistic pedestrian behavior with varied dataset sizes. To assess the effectiveness of our model, we have utilized L1, MSE, Quantile and ADE loss. Our experiments have demonstrated that HTIM outperforms the majority of the state-of-the-art methods in this field, thus indicating its superior performance in imputing pedestrian trajectories.

Background: Asthma is a widespread chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant public health challenge. The current study investigated the associations between air pollution and asthma severity among individuals residing near the Sohar industrial port (SIP) in Oman. Despite the presence of multiple major industrial complexes in Oman, limited knowledge regarding their impact on respiratory health is accredited. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to offer valuable insights into the respiratory health consequences of industrial air pollution in Al Batinah North. Methods: The state health clinics' records for patient visits related to asthma were collected for the timeframe spanning 2014 to 2022. Exposure was defined as the distance from SIP, Majan Industerial Area (MIA) and Sohar Industerial Zone (SIZ) to determine high, intermediate, and low exposure zones (12 km, respectively). Exposure effect modifications by age, gender, and smoking status were also examined. Results: The conducted cross-sectional study of 410 patients (46.1% males and 53.9% females) living in over 17 areas around SIP revealed that 73.2% of asthmatics were under 50 years old, with severity significantly associated with closeness to the port. Risk ratios were estimated to be (RR:2.42; CI95%: 1.01–5.78), (RR:1.91; CI95%: 1.01–3.6), and (RR:1.68; CI95%: 0.92–3.09) for SIP, MIP and SIZ areas, respectively, compared to the control area. Falaj Al Qabail (6.4 km) and Majees (6 km) had the highest number of asthma patients (N. 69 and N. 72), and highest percentages of severe asthma cases among these patients (28% and 24%) with significant risk ratios (RR:2.97; CI95%: 1.19–7.45 and RR:2.55; CI95%: 1.00–6.48), correspondingly. Moreover, severe asthma prevalence peaked in the 25-50 age group (RR:2.05; CI95%: 1.26–3.33), and this linkage between asthma and age was much more pronounced in males than females. Smoking and exposure to certain contaminant (dust and smoke) increased also the risk of severe asthma symptoms, but their effects were less important in the high risk zone, suggesting much more important risk factor. A neural network model accurately predicted asthma risk (94.8% accuracy), with proximity to Sohar Industrial Port as the most influential predictor. Conclusion: The study highlights the High asthma burden near Sohar Industrial Port, linked to port proximity and smoking and wind direction as major risk factors. These findings inform vital public health policies to reduce air pollution and improve respiratory health in the region, prompting national policy review.

Background: Historically, in the United States and globally, women have supported other women before, during, and after childbirth. Birth doulas are considered an important component to eliminating racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. To address disparities in birth outcomes, Healthy Women Healthy Futures (HWHF) provides free birth and postpartum doula services to low-income women and communities of color in New York City. Methods: Secondary analysis of program data (n=364) collected between 2020 and 2021 was conducted. Univariate and multivariable analyses focused on: method of delivery, preterm birth, low-birthweight birth, breastfeeding, maternal-infant skin contact. The key exposure variable was total doula hours. Results: Clients who received prenatal doula support had low rates of preterm birth (8.8%) and low birthweight (7.1%), and high rates of vaginal delivery (69.1%), breastfeeding in the hospital (90.9%), and maternal-infant skin contact (78.2%). Multivariable analysis did not identify an association between number of doula hours and any of the five outcomes examined. Conclusion: While descriptive results point to positive birth outcomes, these effects did not persist in multivariable analyses. Data quality concerns from this intervention likely hindered the ability to detect a program impact, emphasizing the importance of funding to support data collection and management activities.

Design plays a critical role and creates a positive user experience, establishing a solid brand identity and staying competitive in the digital world. This research investigates the impact of user data collecting and analysis in improving user experience. The Data-driven User interface design can create an optimized and relevant UI with individual preferences, which leads to increasing user engagement and usability. The proposal explores methodologies to implement data collection and user research for tailoring digital products.

Retiring coal power plants can reduce air pollution and health damages. However, the spatial distribution of those impacts remains unclear due to complex power system adjustments and pollution chemistry and transport. Focusing on coal retirements in Pennsylvania (PA), we analyze six counterfactual scenarios for 2019 that differ in retirement targets (e.g., reducing 50% of coal-based installed capacity vs. generation) and priorities (e.g., closing plants with higher cost, closer to Environmental Justice Areas, or with higher CO₂ emissions). Using a power system model of the PJM Interconnection, we find that coal retirements in PA shift power generation across PA and the Rest of PJM region leading to scenario-varying changes in the plant-level release of several air pollutants. Due to air pollution chemistry and transport and socio-demographics, these changes in turn give rise to a reduction of 10 to 182 PM_2.5-attributable deaths in PJM across the six scenarios, with most reductions occurring in PA. Scenarios that reduce more coal power generation yield greater aggregate health benefits due to air quality improvements in PA and adjacent downwind regions. In addition, vulnerable populations—in both PA and Rest of PJM—benefit most in scenarios that prioritize plant closures in PA near Environmental Justice Areas. These results demonstrate the importance of considering cross-regional linkages and socio-demographics in designing equitable retirement strategies.

The purpose of this study was to report data analysis results from the International Health Regulations (2005) Ship Sanitation Certificates (SSC), recorded in the European Information System (EIS). International sea trade and population movements by ships can contribute to the global spread of diseases. SSC are issued to ensure the implementation of control measures if public health risk exists on board. EIS designed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) “Handbook for Inspection of Ships and Issuance of SSC”. Inspection data were recorded and SSC issued by inspectors working at European ports were analysed. From July 2011-February 2017, 107 inspectors working at 54 ports in 11 countries inspected 5579 ships. Of these, there were 29 types under 85 flags (including 19 EU flags). As per IHR (2005) 10,281 Ship Sanitation Control Exception Certificates (SSCEC) and 296 Ship Sanitation Control Certificates (SSCC) were issued, 74 extensions to existing SSC were given, 7565 inspection findings were recorded, and 47 inspections were recorded without issuing an SSC. The most frequent inspection findings were the lack of potable water quality monitoring reports (23%). Ships aged ≥12 years (Odds Ratio, OR = 1.77, 95%Confidence Intervals, CI = 1.37–2.29) with an absence of cargo at time of inspection (OR = 3.36, 95%CI = 2.51–4.50) had a higher probability of receiving an SSCC, while ships under the EU flag had a lower probability of having inspection findings (OR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.66–0.79). Risk factors to prioritise the inspections according to IHR were identified by using the EIS. A global information system, or connection of national or regional information systems and data exchange, could help to better implement SSC using common standards and procedures.

This paper details the comprehensive activities conducted in a laboratory setting to assess the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of prefabricated building envelopes. Aimed at enhancing the structural evaluation of buildings, the focus of this research lies in employing nondestructive sensors for SHM with the objective to advance in the understanding and assessment of facade conditions. The paper outlines the methodologies employed, starting with a modal analysis to define the structural vibration's modal frequency. Subsequently, tests were defined and executed to validate building envelope compliance in case of stress typical of high-rise building. Throughout these tests, continuous monitoring of the façade was conducted using both conventional (accelerometers, extensimeter washers) and non-conventional sensors (Fiber Optic Sensing) The gathered data underwent thorough processing and analysis to provide an overall perspective on the structure's behavior during the stress test. The investigation aimed to identify whether specific physical phenomena correlate with distinct signals and to evaluate if continuous façade monitoring over the building's lifespan aids in preventing potential structural damage. Moreover, two modal analyses were conducted to compare final data and frequencies with earlier data, enabling the detection of any structural alterations. The results from compliance testing and structural analysis yielded noteworthy insights contributing to the evolving field of structural health monitoring, offering valuable findings that advance our ability to proactively manage and maintain the integrity of building structures.

We investigate the existence and representation of the generalized core-EP inverse of some triangular matrices over a Banach algebra. Further, the general representations of the generalized core-EP inverse of a triangular matrix over a $C^*$-algebra are presented. As applications, the generalized core-EP inverses of some block operator matrices over Hilbert spaces are given.

In this paper, we introduce the notion of the generalized $w$-group inverse in a Banach algebra with proper involution. This is a natural generalization of generalized (weak) group inverse in Banach *-algebras. Many elementary properties of such new weighted generalized inverse are presented. We further establish the equivalent relations between generalized weighted group inverse and weighted generalized Drazin inverse. Related properties of generalized (weak) group inverse are extended to the wider cases.

Being forced to live in an area following a catastrophic landslide may adversely impact people's mental well-being. Unprivileged communities such as Adivasis, Dalits, plantation workers, and people with low incomes in Kerala's hilly districts are forced to live in landslide-affected areas despite their fear. This paper examines the fears and concerns of landslide survivors from the marginalized sections of society from a broader framework of the political economy of mental health. This approach aligns with the assertion made by the World Health Organisation that individual factors do not solely determine mental health but are intricately linked to broader social, political, and economic circumstances. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with fatal landslide survivors and key informants [ ]. The study employed thematic data analysis from in-depth interviews of various fatal landslide survivors since 2018. The three major themes unveiled in the analysis are: 1. post-disaster fears, 2. The factors that triggered fear and concern and 3. Socio-economic marginality and mental health. The study asserts that individuals who are poor and unprivileged are highly susceptible to mental health issues associated with landslides.

Aloe vera is well known for its biological properties as a bioflavonoid-anti-inflammatory, antibacterial agent. It has been used frequently in the food sector as food coating for its hygroscopic properties and as an ingredient in the lucrative industry. Studies have also included Aloe vera as an eco-friendly green solution based on these properties. The current research focuses on the use of Aloe vera gel in printing pastes as an alternative sustainable solution to synthetic thickeners, evaluating its wet performance and ease of fabric stitching, and has been inspired by studies that similarly used this substance measuring its effect on the fabric's coefficient of friction and antimicrobial action. In the current study, printing pastes with natural colourants and Aloe vera gel thickener derived from natural leaves from Crete increased the fabric's mechanical resistance to abrasion compared to the untreated pastes. The measured performance did not differ substantially from prints with traditional synthetic pastes, hence tolerating the substitution with the non-contaminant variant. The enhanced resistance to abrasion and wear prolongates the fabric's serviceable life and resulting garments, decreasing the need for high industry processing volumes and, as a result, reducing pollution. The resistance to wear was evaluated using the dominant method in textile testing of the Martindale apparatus, which measured the cycles to failure, weight loss, and general appearance deterioration using the official photographic standards.

Global coverage and scale up of interventions to reduce newborn mortality remains low, though progress has been achieved in improving newborn survival in many low-income settings. An important factor in the success of newborn health interventions, and moving to scale, is appropriate design of community-based programs and strategies for local implementation. We report the results of formative research undertaken to inform the design of a newborn health intervention in Cambodia. Information was gathered on newborn care practices over a period of three months using multiple qualitative methods of data collection in the primary health facility and home setting. Analysis of the data indicated important gaps, both at home and facility level, between recommended newborn care practices and those typical in the study area. The results of this formative research have informed strategies for behavior change and improving referral of sick infants in the subsequent implementation study. Collection and dissemination of data on newborn care practices from settings such as these can contribute to efforts to advance survival, growth and development of newborns for intervention research, and for future newborn health programming.

Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that results in inefficient erythropoiesis due to genetic mutation that leads to reduction or absence of the hemoglobin beta-globulin protein. Approximately 8.5% of UAE residents suffer from β-thalassemia, a significant health and financial problem. The treatment options available for β-Thalassemia major are limited and associated with a wide range of complications. β-thalassemia gene therapy is emerging as a potential novel treatment option that eliminates the complications caused by the current long-term treatment modalities and the associated economic burden. This paper reviews the scientific literature related to emerging gene-therapy for β-Thalassemia by analyzing all the articles published from January 2010 to December 2023 in the English language on Databases like PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and CINAHL. The use of gene therapy has demonstrated promising outcomes for a permanent cure of β-Thalassemia. ZYNTEGLO (Betibeglogene autotemcel) is the only cell-based gene therapy which was approved by the FDA on 19th August, 2018. To conclude, Gene therapy is an innovative solution. It demonstrates a promising future, but does come with its own set-backs and is something that must be tackled in-order to revolutionize it in the medical world. FDA approved ZYNTEGLO is a potentially one-time curative treatment for β-Thalassemia. Although cutting-edge, its use is limited because of the high cost; a price of $2.8million per patient.

This paper focuses on optimal sensor positioning for monitoring activities of daily living and investigates different combinations of features and models on different sensor positions, i.e., the side of the waist, front of the waist, chest, thigh, head, upper arm, wrist, and ankle. Sixteen features are extracted and the feature importance is measured by using the Relief-F feature selection algorithm. Eight classification algorithms are evaluated on a dataset collected from young subjects and that collected from elderly subjects, with two different experimental settings. To deal with different sampling rates, signals with a high data rate are down-sampled and a transformation matrix is used for aligning signals to the same coordinate system. The thigh, chest, side of the waist, and front of the waist are the best four sensor positions for the first dataset (young subjects), with average accuracy values being greater than 95%. The best model obtained from the first dataset for the side of the waist is validated on the second dataset (elderly subjects). The most appropriate number of features for each sensor position is reported. The results provide a reference for building activity recognition models for different sensor positions, as well as for data acquired from different hardware platforms and subject groups.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition in reproductive-age women. Women with PCOS are at higher risk of pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes (GDM). The prevalence of PCOS and GDM varies according to the diagnostic criteria used. The mechanism for the occurrence of GDM in women with PCOS is still unclear. Materials &amp; Methods- A systematic search of the electronic database was done using keywords like PCOS, and GDM to include studies between April 2008 and March 2023 where uniform diagnostic criteria were used. Studies were excluded with high-risk of bias after the assessment of bias, and meta-analysis was done with relative risks and confidence intervals. Results &amp; Discussion-Out of 1896 search results, 95 were selected for full-text. The quality of the studies was scrutinized and a total of 28 studies were included as they fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of GDM in women with PCOS was found to be 10.55 % (2.9- 54.9%) from pooled data involving 1,280,245. The prevalence of PCOS in women diagnosed with GDM was found from pooled data of 36,351 women in retrospective studies to be 2.47% (1.5- 50.1%). Selection predominantly included cohort studies, most commonly from China. The meta-analysis reported the risk of GDM is higher in women with PCOS than in those without PCOS (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.27–1.91, p &lt; 0.001). Family history of diabetes, ethnicity, pre-pregnancy BMI, insulin resistance, gestational weight gain, use of assisted reproductive techniques, and multifetal gestation were the risk factors for GDM in women with PCOS. Conclusion- The prevalence of GDM in patients with PCOS is high, but the causality is complex. The newer predictive models are promising in clarifying the causative relationships, yet use various parameters at different cut-offs. There is a need for the development of universally acceptable parameters for the early prediction of GDM in women with PCOS.

Social biases may concentrate attention of researchers on a small number of well-known molecules/mechanisms leaving others underexplored. In accordance with this view, central to mechanistic toxicology is a narrow range of molecular pathways that are assumed to be involved in significant part of responses to toxicity. It is unclear, however, if there are other molecular mechanisms which play important role in toxicity events but are overlooked by toxicology. To identify overlooked genes sensitive to chemical exposures we used publicly available databases. First, we used data on published chemical-gene interactions for 17,338 genes to estimate their sensitivity to chemical exposures. Next, we extracted data on publication numbers per gene for 19,243 human genes from Find My Understudied Genes database. Threshold were applied to both datasets using our algorithm to identify chemically sensitive and chemically insensitive genes and well-studied and underexplored genes. 1,110 underexplored genes highly sensitive to chemical exposures were used in GSEA and Shiny GO analyses to identify enriched biological categories. Metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose were identified as underexplored molecular mechanisms sensitive to chemical exposures. These findings suggest that future effort is needed to uncover the role of xenobiotics in the current epidemics of metabolic diseases.

PURPOSE: To investigate the oxylipin profiles in aqueous humor of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients. METHODS: Aqueous humor samples were collected from 17 POAG patients and 15 cataract subjects and subjected to the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis to detect the oxylipins. The prediction potential of the differential abundant oxylipins was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Pathway and correlation analyses on the oxylipins and clinical and biochemical parameters were also conducted. RESULTS: The LC-MS analysis detected a total of 76 oxylipins, of which 29 oxylipins reached the detection limit. The multivariate analysis identified 5 differential abundant oxylipins, 15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha (15-kPGF2α), Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), 12,13-Epoxyoctadecenoic acid (12,13-Epome), 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) and 11-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (11-HETE). The 5 oxylipins are enriched in the arachidonic acid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism pathways. Pearson correlation analysis showed that 11-HETE was positively correlated with intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness and negatively with cup/disk ratio in the POAG patients. In addition, 15-kPGF2α was positively correlated with visual field defect, and LTB4 was negatively correlated with macular thickness.  CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the oxylipin profile in the aqueous humor of POAG patients. Oxylipins involved in arachidonic acid metabolism pathway could play a role in POAG and anti-inflammatory therapies could be potential treatment strategies for POAG.

The relationship between antitumor response and tumor marker changes was evaluated in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with durvalumab plus tremelimumab (Dur/Tre). Thirty-two patients were enrolled in this retrospective evaluation of treatment outcomes. According to Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors at 8 weeks, the objective response rate (OR) was 25% and the disease control rate (DC) was 56.3%. Median alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) ratio at 4 weeks was 0.310 in patients who achieved OR at 8 weeks (8W-OR group), significantly lower than the 1.105 in the non-8W-OR group (p=0.0020), but was 1.210 in patients who did not achieve DC at 8 weeks (non-8W-DC group), significantly higher than the 0.470 in the 8W-DC group (p=0.0006). Similarly, median des-γ-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP) ratio at 4 weeks was 0.125 in the 8W-OR group, significantly lower than the 1.225 in the non-8W-OR group (p=0.0001), but was 1.120 in the non-8W-DC group, significantly higher than the 0.480 in the 8W-DC group (p=0.0255). Early changes in tumor markers after Dur/Tre initiation were associated with antitumor response. In particular, changes in AFP and DCP at 4 weeks may offer useful biomarkers for early prediction of both response and progressive disease following Dur/Tre.

In this work, an analog front-end (AFE) circuit for Electrocardiogram (ECG) detection system has been designed, implemented, and investigated in an industry-standard Cadence simulation framework using advanced technology node of 45 nm. The AFE consists of an instrumentation amplifier, a Butterworth band-pass filter (with fifth-order low-pass and second-order high-pass sections), and a second-order notch filter- all are based on two-stage, Miller-compensated operational transconductance amplifiers (OTA). The OTAs have been designed employing the $g_m/I_D$ methodology. Both the pre-layout and post-layout simulation were carried out. The layout consumes an area of 0.0058 mm$^2$ without the resistors and capacitors. Analysis of various simulation results were carried out for the proposed AFE. The circuit demonstrates a post-layout bandwidth of 239 Hz with a variable gain between 44 to 58 dB, a notch depth of -56.4 dB at 50.1 Hz, a total harmonic distortion (THD) of -59.65 dB (less than 1\%), an input referred noise spectral density of $

Pipeline conflicts arising from data dependencies are a common issue encountered in the hardware implementation of layered QC-LDPC decoders. This paper proposes an efficient layered decoding architecture to reduce pipeline conflicts without introducing stall cycles, by reordering the processing order offline and using the patch method based on variable-to-check message. The experimental results on the LDPC code of the IEEE802.16 standard in the OFDM-PON system demonstrate that the proposed architecture has a sensitivity improvement of 0.125 dBm and 0.375 dBm, respectively, compared with our previous work and the method described in the other work.

The literature study delves into novel therapeutic strategies in transplantation medicine, highlighting unique approaches that could revolutionize current practices. It emphasizes novel patterns that have the potential to transform the current landscape. Commencing with a thorough examination of the historical environment, it traces crucial advances and changes in transplantation. The focus is on traditional techniques, emphasizing their limitations and challenges. An extensive examination of contemporary transplantation therapies offers valuable insights into the most recent progress in organ, cellular, and tissue transplantation. This analysis examines the immunological obstacles and outlines the current advancements and constraints. The exploration further navigates into novel models and concepts such as immunomodulation, developments in organ preservation techniques, gene editing, biomaterials, scaffold-based solutions, and the integration of precision medicine, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications. Each section analyzes the potential for change and current progress in various areas, backed by relevant scientific sources up to 2023. The subsequent sections delve into innovative cellular therapies, biotechnological progress, current clinical trials, and case studies demonstrating effective applications. This examination delves into the ethical and regulatory considerations of innovative therapeutic procedures, emphasizing ethical implications, regulatory frameworks, and the importance of balancing innovation with patient welfare. The literature review concludes by offering a forward-looking perspective, emphasizing potential progress, anticipated challenges, and advocating for collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches to overcome limitations in the field of transplantation medicine.

Legionella bacteria can proliferate in poorly maintained water systems, posing risks to users. All Legionella species are potentially pathogenic but Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is usually the primary focus of testing. However, Legionella anisa (L. anisa) also colonises water distribution systems, is frequently found with L. pneumophila and could be a good indicator for increased risk of nosocomial infection. Anonymized data from three commercial Legionella testing laboratories afforded analysis of 565,750 water samples. Data covered July 2019 to August 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Results confirmed L. anisa commonly colonises water distribution systems, being the most frequently identified non-L. pneumophila species. Proportions of L. anisa and L. pneumophila generally remained similar but increases in L. pneumophila during COVID-19 lockdown suggests static water supplies might favour its growth. Disinfection of hospital water systems was effective but re-colonization did occur, appearing to favour L. pneumophila, although L. anisa colony numbers also increased as a proportion of the total. While L. pneumophila remains the main species of concern as a risk to human health, L. anisa’s role should not be under-estimated, either as a potential infection risk or as an indicator of the need to intervene to control Legionella colonization of water supplies.

The study assessed the trapping efficacy of locally-modified 1) Gravid Aedes Trap(GAT) lined with insecticide-treated net (ITN) as a killing agent, 2) Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap(AGO) with sticky board in the semi-field system (SFS) and field setting. Fully-balanced Latin square experiments were conducted to compare GAT lined with ITN vs AGO, both with either yeast or grass infusion. Biogents-Sentinel (BGS) with BG-Lure and no CO2 was used as standard trap for Aedes mosquitoes. In the SFS, GAT outperformed AGO in collecting both nulliparous (65% vs 49%,OR=2.22,[95%CI:1.89-2.60],p

This paper assesses the association of ESG scores with stock returns and highlights the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country's governance. The study uses panel data regressions to analyze how ESG performance influences plain, absolute, and risk-adjusted returns in a sample of European and selected non-European countries. These suggest that higher overall ESG scores are related positively to financial performance, and this relation is enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the two dimensions of ESG that matter most are environmental and governance. Country-level governance is important because firms in well-governed countries amplify the benefits of high ESG scores. The opposite is true for the higher Controversies scores, whose bad financial outcome is magnified during the pandemic. These results present an argument for the resilience of firm financial performance, dependent on strong ESG practices and governance frameworks. This holds great interest for investors and policymakers in associating good ESG considerations with the effective management of financial risks, leading to sustainable returns during periods of widespread economic uncertainty.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

Safe water is a global public health concern amid increasing scarcity and pollution. Bottled water production and consumption contribute to these problems. This study examines tap water consumption in Italy, assessing associated sociodemographic factors and related health outcomes such as obesity and self-perceived health status. Data from the Italian National Statistics Institute's "Aspects of daily life" survey (N=45,597) were analyzed. Covariates included education, age, gender, economic status, region, concerns about waste and climate change, consumption of carbonated drinks excluding water, alcohol consumption, consumption of vegetables, consumption of snacks, body mass index, and self-perceived health status. Bivariate analyses and mixed-effect logistic regression models explored the associations. People who drink tap water were 19,674 with a higher prevalence in people aged 45 to 59 old, people with a graduate/post-graduate degree diploma, with optimal economic resources, and concerned about waste production and climate change, coming from the North-East regions of Italy. Underweight people showed a higher prevalence of TW assumption as well as those who drink less than occasionally carbonated drinks, drink alcohol, consume vegetables more than once a day, and snacks less than once a week with a satisfying level perceived health status. Regressions showed that all age classes are less likely to drink tap water than people younger than 20 years old. The category with “inadequate” economic resources is more likely to consume tap water. Low educational classes show a low likelihood of consuming tap water as well as Islands. A concern about waste production and climate change is associated with an increased likelihood of assuming tap water. Tap water consumption was negatively associate with obesity but not with a satisfactory Self-perceived health status. Insights from this study can inform public health strategies.

It is shown that if there exists in nature a pair of heavy elementary particles each with a charge equal to that of the proton and with mass energy , then their direct interaction gives rise to a spontaneous fractionation of the two charges into three pairs of elementary particles according to two equiprobable channels, one hadronic and one leptonic. The leptons and quarks produced are in agreement with the first generation of the Standard Model of matter. Fractionation suggests the relative abundances of the elementary particles, introducing some questions about the possibility of the real existence of a currently unknown particle and its role in the formation of an apparent matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe.

This communication explores the transition from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to a more holistic model, named Complex Therapy, developed by Tullio Scrimali for explaining and treating mental disorders. The Author delves into the limitations of traditional CBT and introduces an innovative framework that integrates multiple therapeutic modalities. While CBT is based on the study and modification of behaviour and cognition, Complex Therapy includes, in its focus, the theory of human relationships, the attachment theory, neuroscience, applied neuroscience, complex systems theory and ecology.Complex Therapy addresses the multifaceted nature of mental health issues by combining evidence-based techniques with personalized care strategies. The goal is to enhance patient outcomes through a tailored, comprehensive treatment plan that adapts to the evolving needs of individuals facing mental health challenges.Two innovative and original items which Scrimali has developed, which are a device for Applied Neuroscience MindLAB Set and a new botanical drug, NegEnt, are presented and discussed.The topic also describes, an original and integrated protocol, named Negative Entropy, the author has developed for treating a challenging disorder, such as schizophrenia, he renamed Entropy of Mind.

Optimal control is a critical tool for mechanical robotic systems, facilitating precise manipulation of dynamic processes. These processes are described through differential equations governed by a control function, addressing a time-optimal problem with bilinear characteristics. Our study utilizes the classical approach complemented by Pontryagin's Maximum Principle (PMP) to explore this inverse optimal problem. The objective is to develop an exact piecewise control function that effectively manages trajectory control while considering the effects of viscous friction. Our simulations demonstrate that the proposed control law markedly diminishes oscillations induced by boundary conditions. This research not only aims to delineate the reachability set but also strives to determine the minimal time required for the process. The findings include an exact analytical solution for the stated control problem.

Objective: Mechanical bowel preparation is essential for the visualisation of the colon during colonoscopy, and previous studies have identified changes in gut microbiota composition after bowel preparation and colonoscopy. Considering the gut microbiota is increasingly implicated in mood, we aimed to explore the potential impact of this intervention on mood and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Methods: We conducted a pre-post intervention study, with timepoints of one week before and one month after bowel preparation and colonoscopy, in community-dwelling adults referred for colonoscopy. Our primary outcome was change in average Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression sub-scores using generalised estimating equations. We also examined changes in average anxiety, stress, and quality of life scores, and faecal microbiota composition and potential function using 16S rRNA sequencing. We further explored associations between changes in depressive symptoms and the gut microbiota and conducted post-hoc analyses to explore potential effect modifiers. Key Results: 59 participants were included in the analyses. Depressive symptoms decreased one-month post-procedure compared to baseline (adjusted β=−0.64; 95%CI: −1.18, −0.11). Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) appeared to moderate this relationship (1.78; 0.292, 3.26); depressive symptoms increased in those with, and decreased in those without, IBS. Changes in gut microbiome composition included reduced alpha diversity, modest effects on beta-diversity, and increases in genera associated with potential health benefits, one-month post-procedure compared to baseline. Increases in the CLR-transformed abundance of Ruminococcaceae UCG-009 were associated with improvements in depressive symptoms. Conclusions: There is preliminary evidence of a potential mental health effect of bowel preparation and colonoscopy, which may be associated with changes to the gut microbiota. There may also be a differential mental health impact of this procedure for those with and without IBS. Considering the limitations of our study, further research is required to confirm these findings and their clinical relevance.

Stress is a natural yet potentially harmful aspect of human life, necessitating effective management, particularly during overwhelming experiences. This paper presents a scoping review of personalized stress detection models using wearable technology. Employing the PRISMA-ScR framework for rigorous methodological structuring, we systematically analyzed literature from key databases including Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed. Our focus was on biosignals, AI methodologies, datasets, wearable devices, and real-world implementation challenges. The review presents an overview of stress and its biological mechanisms, details the methodology for the literature search, and synthesizes the findings. It shows that biosignals, especially EDA and PPG, are frequently utilized for stress detection and demonstrate potential reliability in multimodal settings. Evidence for a trend towards deep learning models was found, although the limited comparison with traditional methods calls for further research. Concerns arise regarding the representativeness of datasets and practical challenges in deploying wearable technologies, which include issues related to data quality and privacy. Future research should aim to develop comprehensive datasets and explore AI techniques that are not only accurate but also computationally efficient and user-centric, thereby closing the gap between theoretical models and practical applications to improve the effectiveness of stress detection systems in real scenarios.

Understanding the dynamics of teamwork and communication among healthcare professionals is crucial in the face of evolving healthcare challenges. This study assessed relational coordination among healthcare professionals in the South Tyrolean healthcare system in Italy, focusing on communication and teamwork dynamics in a cross-sectional survey. Using the validated Relational Coordination Survey (RCS) instrument and 525 completed online responses, the questionnaire aimed to understand the implications of different levels of relational coordination ratings by general practitioners, hospital physicians, nurses, and administrative personnel (response rate 26%). The demographics of the participants revealed a predominance of female professionals (64%), with an average age of 50 and 18 years of service. The resulting RCS scores varied significantly across professional groups, with nurses reporting the highest within-group scores, indicating moderate coordination, and administrators reporting the lowest scores, reflecting areas of weak coordination. Between-group relational coordination was generally perceived as weak across professional groups, with the least weakness observed between general practitioners and nurses. German or Italian language and health district affiliation emerged as significant factors influencing relational coordination ratings, highlighting the need for differentiated understanding and strategies in multilingual and diverse regional settings. Assessments of interdisciplinary feedback and referral practices highlight the variation in teamwork and communication weaknesses and underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve relational coordination. This study provides insights into the complexity of relational dynamics in health care settings. It suggests that improving relational coordination through tailored strategies could significantly improve team effectiveness, quality of patient care, and overall system efficiency.

Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) have revolutionized anticoagulant therapy, offering improved safety and efficacy over traditional agents like warfarin. This review comprehensively examines the dual roles of NOACs—Apixaban, Rivaroxaban, Edoxaban, and Dabigatran—not only as anticoagulants but also as modulators of inflammation via Protease-Activated Receptor (PAR) signaling. We highlight the unique pharmacotherapeutic properties of each NOAC, supported by key clinical trials demonstrating their effectiveness in preventing thromboembolic events. Beyond their established anticoagulant roles, emerging research suggests that NOACs influence inflammation through PAR signaling pathways, implicating factors such as FXa and Thrombin in the modulation of inflammatory responses. This review synthesizes current evidence on the anti-inflammatory potential of NOACs, exploring their impact on inflammatory markers and conditions like atherosclerosis and diabetes. By delineating the mechanisms by which NOACs mediate anti-inflammatory effects, this work aims to expand their therapeutic utility, offering new perspectives for managing inflammatory diseases. Our findings underscore the broader clinical implications of NOACs, advocating for their consideration in therapeutic strategies aimed at addressing inflammation-related pathologies. This comprehensive synthesis not only enhances understanding of NOACs' multifaceted roles but also paves the way for future research and clinical applications in inflammation and cardiovascular health

Background/Objectives Bowel endometriosis (BE) is defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue in the muscular layer of the bowel wall. When BE does not cause severe obstruction to fecal transit, not leading to (sub)occlusive symptoms, the decision to operate becomes challenging as intestinal surgery is associated with higher complication rates and long-term bowel dysfunction. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients with BE undergoing medical therapy or expectant management, investigating the impact of characteristics of BE nodules on QoL and intestinal function. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 580 patients with BE who did not undergo surgery but were treated conservatively by medical therapy or expectant management between January 2017 and August 2022. The diagnosis of BE was done by transvaginal ultrasound and confirmed at double contrast barium enema. After at least one year of follow-up, QoL and intestinal function of patients were evaluated by the Endometriosis Health Profile-5 (EHP-5) questionnaire and Bowel Endometriosis Symptom score (BENS), whereas pain symptoms were assessed by the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS 0-10). Statistical analysis was performed to investigate possible associations between QoL and characteristics of bowel nodules (dimension, location, and evidence of stenosis) as well as type and length of eventual medical therapy. Results Patients with BE had a satisfying overall QoL with a mean EHP-5 score of 105.42 ± 99.98 points and VAS lower than 3 for all pain domains; additionally, they did not show a significant impartment of bowel function with mean BENS score of 4.89 ± 5.28 points. Notably, patients under medical therapy had a better QoL than patients without therapy (p

Lyme disease, the leading vector-borne ailment in the U.S., annually affects an estimated 476,000 individuals, predominantly in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. Despite its increasing incidence, the evaluation of risk within U.S. cities, including natural public lands, remains inadequate. This study focuses on blacklegged tick occurrences and Borrelia burgdorferi infection prevalence in 24 Staten Island parks, aiming to assess Lyme disease exposure risk. Monthly acarological risk index (ARI) calculations from 2019 to 2022 revealed elevated values (0.16-0.53) in specific parks, notably Wolfe’s Pond Park, High Rock Park, Clay Pit Pond Park, Clove Lake Park, and Fair View Park. June (0.36) and November (0.21) consistently exhibited heightened ARIs, aligning with peak tick collection months. Despite stable yearly infection rates at 28.97%, tick densities varied significantly between parks and years. Identifying a high transmission risk in specific parks in Staten Island, a highly urbanized part of New York City, emphasizes the continuous necessity for Lyme disease risk management, even within the greenspaces of large cities.

Gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs) encompass a spectrum of conditions characterized by abnormal trophoblastic cell growth, ranging from benign molar pregnancies to malignant trophoblastic neoplasms. This systematic review explores the molecular underpinnings of GTDs, focusing on genetic and epigenetic factors that influence disease progression and clinical outcomes. Based on 65 studies identified through systematic search and selection criteria, key findings include dysregulations in tumor suppressor genes such as p53, aberrant apoptotic pathways involving BCL-2, and altered expression of growth factor receptors and microRNAs. These molecular alterations not only differentiate molar pregnancies from normal placental development but also contribute to their clinical behavior, from benign moles to potentially malignant forms. The review synthesizes insights from immunohistochemical studies and molecular analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of GTD pathogenesis and implications for personalized care strategies.

Aedes albopictus is considered one of the major invasive species in the world and can transmit viruses such as dengue, Zika, or chikungunya. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) can be used to suppress the native populations of Ae. albopictus. To support the development of the release strategy during the SIT application, Mark-Release-Recapture (MRR) studies are crucial. Mean-while, weather conditions can affect the MRR trial’s results and it is critical to understand the influence of climatic factors on the results. In October 2022 in Faro, Southern Portugal, 84,000 ir-radiated sterile males were released for three consecutive weeks and mosquitoes were recapture by Human Landing Collections (HLC) one, two, four and six days after. Generalised linear models with a negative binomial family and log function were used to estimate the factors asso-ciated with the number of recaptured mosquitoes, prevalence ratios, and the 95% confidence in-tervals (CI). A total of 84,000 sterile male mosquitoes were released, with 528 recaptured (0.8%) by HLC. The prevalence of recaptured mosquitoes was 23% lower when the wind intensity was moderate. Sterile-marked males had an average median distance travelled of 88.7 m. Median probability of daily survival and the average life expectancy were 61.6% and 2.1, respectively. Wild male population estimates was 443.33 males/ ha. Despite no statistically significant asso-ciation was found with humidity, temperature and precipitation, it is crucial to consider weather conditions during MRR trials analyses to obtain the best determinants estimation and a more ef-ficient application of SIT in an integrated vector management program.

Background: Health insurance (HI) run by government is providing health care service to large population. Due to poor accountability, participation and sustainability, cooperative health insurance is becoming more popular and effective in low and middle income and some high-income countries too. In Nepal, there are public and cooperative HI is in practice. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of public (government) and cooperative HI in relation to benefit packages, population coverage, inclusiveness, health care utilization, and promptness for treatment in these two health insurance models in Nepal. Method: This is an institution based concurrent mixed study consists of qualitative and quantitative variables from public and cooperative groups. We included all public HI operated by government hospitals and cooperatives groups those purchased hospital service in contract. Two separate study tools were applied to access the effectiveness of insurance models. The key questions were asked for the representatives of government and private health insurance. The numeric information consisted of in quantitative data and subjective response was included in qualitative approach. Descriptive statistics and Mean Whitney U test was applied in numeric data and qualitative information were analyzed by inductive approach Results: The study revealed that new enrolment was not increased, health care utilization rate was increased and the benefit package was almost same in both groups. The overall inclusiveness was higher for the government HI, but enrolment from the religious minority, proportion of negotiated amount during treatment were significantly higher (p<0.05). During illness, the response time to reach hospital was significantly faster in cooperative health insurance than government health insurance. Qualitative findings showed that level of participation, accountability, transparency and recording system was better in cooperative health insurance than public. Conclusion: Cooperative HI could be more sustainable and accountable to the community for all; low, middle and high-income countries.

Keywords: knowledge; behaviour; ergonomics; posture; musculoskeletal; pain; university; students; survey.

A partial mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene haplotype variant of the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) Oryctes rhinoceros classed as ‘CRB-G (clade I)’ has been the focus of much research since 2007 with reports of invasions into new Pacific Island locations (e.g., Guam, Hawaii, Solomons Islands). For numerous invasive species, inference of invasion biology via whole genome is superior to assessments via the partial mtCOI gene. Here, we explore CRB draft mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from historical and recent collections, with assessment focused on individuals associated within the CRB-G (clade I) classification. We found that all Guam CRB individuals possessed the same mitogenome across all 13 protein coding genes and differed from individuals collected elsewhere, including ‘non-Guam’ individuals designated as CRB-G (clade I) by partial mtCOI assessment. Two alternative ATP6 and COIII partial gene primer sets were developed to enable distinction between CRB (clade I) that invaded Guam and CRB-G (Clade I) individuals collected elsewhere. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated ATP6-COIII genes showed that only Guam CRB-G (clade I) individuals clustered together, and therefore Guam was not the source of the CRB that invaded the other locations in the Pacific assessed in this study. The use of the mtCOI and/or mtCOIII genes for initial molecular diagnosis of CRB remained crucial, and assessment of more native CRB populations will further advance our ability to identify the provenance of CRB invasions being reported within the Pacific and elsewhere

Effective management of the medicine supply chain is crucial for ensuring the availability of essential medicines and supplies in public health facilities. This study aimed to determine the utilization of the electronic logistic management information system (e-LMIS) in public health facilities and its implications for the medicine supply chain. A mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used. The study was conducted in 106 healthcare providers from 35 public health facilities in Singida District. Six key informants were interviewed in a qualitative method. Of 106 participants, (62.3%) said they were somehow competent in e-LMIS utilization. In in-depth interviews, respondents underscored the system's utility for tracking stock levels, procurements, and managing orders. Staff shortage and lack of customized training were mentioned as major challenges, hindering efficiency in managing drug supplies. This study highlighted the positive impact of e-LMIS on various aspects of the medicine supply chain, including the timely submission of orders and enhanced inventory management. Sustained management support and regular utilization of the e-LMIS system are crucial for building and maintaining competence among healthcare providers, thereby optimizing the medicine supply chain and ultimately improving healthcare delivery.

We introduce the notion of generalized contraction on dualistic partial metric spaces. A fixed point theorem for mappings satisfying above mentioned contraction is obtained. Some consequences of our result are obtained. We construct an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of our result among the corresponding results in partial metric spaces. Our results provide substantial generalizations and improvements of several well known results existing in the comparable literature. We discuss an application of our fixed point results to show the existence of solution of functional equations.

The relationship between nations is largely seen as a peripheral issue in the recent history of political philosophy and in the majority of discussions of political philosophy issues today. The idea of a universal natural state were countries are seen as essentially self-sufficient, functional units, and have been proposed to represent the relative lack of moral standards guiding relationships between nations. At one extreme of the tradition, international thought has substituted raison d'état being the highest norm for any universal laws governing relations between states, a view embodied by Machiavelli, Rodin, and others and Hobbes , The lack of supranational political powers has led to the conclusion that, even in cases where the possibility of international moral relationships has been acknowledged, such as in post-Grotian publications on international law, these ties are significantly weaker than in-tranational social bonds. The justification and aversion to war—the primary mode of social in-teraction in the natural condition of the world—is the only issue in the field of global relations to have received substantial theoretical study. Even though this disregard was justified in the past, a number of recent events force us to re-consider the "recalcitrance of international affairs to being theorized about."2. The growing gap between both prosperous and impoverished nations; the emergence of centers of economic in-fluence beyond the reach of effective state regulation; the emergence of severe food and energy shortages brought on, at least in part, by national governments' pursuit of disorganized and uncontrolled growth policies; the growing sensitivity of domestic Countries to the outside eco-nomic, political, and cultural events are some of these developments , requests from third-world nations for greater equal access to international politics and economy. To put it in terms more familiar to conversations about this topic, the rise of "low politics" in negotiation and "welfare questions" within global forums corresponds with the growing influence of transnational con-nections and international agreements on human well-being. Not because "high politics"—that is, the threat and prevention of war—has lost significance; rather, it is just one issue among many for which international cooperation is now required in order to find answers.

Diarrhoea is a serious cause of mortality worldwide that can lead to dehydration, gut barrier function impairment, nutrient malabsorption, and alterations of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis). Current solutions for its management, such as oral rehydration salts (ORS), inhibitors of the gut motility, antibiotics, and living probiotics only partially counteract the mechanisms of the disease and do not provide a full coverage of the problem. Potential risks of the use of living probiotic strains, particularly in immunocompromised patients, can be eliminated with the use of tyndallized (heat-killed) postbiotic bacteria and yeast. ABB C22® is a postbiotic combination of three tyndallized yeasts, namely Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. To assess the action of the postbiotic combination on diarrhoea, immune and gut epithelial cell signaling assays, gut barrier formation assay and rotavirus gene expression assay were performed. ABB C22® showed a strong anti-inflammatory effect, an induction of the build-up of the gut epithelium, and a degree of protection against rotavirus infection. These experimental studies support the use of the postbiotic ABB C22® as a solution for the management of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal conditions, alone or in combination with existing but incomplete treatments.

Background Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), particularly pneumonia, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide, especially in low-resource settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines currently recommend antibiotic treatment for all case of with pneumonia based on clinical signs along, which can lead to over-prescription of antibiotics and contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Point of care Lung Ultrasound (LUS) has emerged as a promising diagnostic tool in this context and has demonstrated potential in distinguishing between bacterial and viral pneumonia, thus enabling more targeted antibiotic use. This study aims to explore whether integrating LUS into the IMCI-based management of clinical pneumonia will better identify those who would benefit from antibiotic treatment, reducing antibiotic overuse without compromising health outcomes. Methods An open label randomized controlled trial will enrol 3500 children aged 60 days to 12 years presenting with IMCI-defined pneumonia. Participants will be enrolled in Senegal, Tanzania, and South Africa. Participants will be randomly assigned in a ratio of 1:1, stratified by site and age group (<5years, 5-12years) to either an intervention group, where LUS will guide antibiotic prescriptions utilising a predefined interpretation framework, or a control group receiving routine IMCI-based care. The co-primary outcomes of this study are the reduction in antibiotic use on the day of enrolment (Day 1) and rate of clinical failure by Day 8, using an acceptable clinical difference of 1.5x as a non-inferiority margin (delta of 2.5%). Secondary outcomes will include adverse drug reactions, cure rates, hospital admissions including in-patient duration, and cost-effectiveness. Data will be collected at baseline (Day 1), Day 8, and Day 29 post-enrolment. Discussion This study seeks to provide evidence on the clinical and public health benefits of using LUS to improve the diagnosis and management of paediatric pneumonia in low-resource settings. If this intervention proves effective it could contribute significantly toward reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, thereby addressing AMR. The potential for LUS to be integrated into routine clinical practice could revolutionize pneumonia management, especially in areas with limited access to advanced diagnostic tools. Trial Registration This trial will be registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and The South African National Clinical Trials Register (SANCTR) prior to participant enrolment.

Background This study aimed to identify the prominent risk factors that may trigger danger signals of early onset of vascular deregulation in T1D. The risk factors we have identified may serve as dual-purpose biomarkers of rapid diagnosis that offer prospective tailor-made resolution therapeutics. Methods The healthy control (HC) was compared with individuals diagnosed with T1D for the risk factors of vascular deregulation in published research studies from year 2013 to 2023. The PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1/1/2013 to 1/9/2023. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane (ROBINS-I ) tool, which is relevant to clinical subjects. A random effect model for continuous data was followed and analysed by RevMan 5.4 and GraphPad Prism software. Results 80 relevant case-control studies having 5293 HC and 7492 T1D patients were included. The age and sex-matched HC consisted of persons free of disease and not under any medication while clinical subjects of all age groups were included. 28 risk factors were grouped into six primary outcome models, all of which favoured the T1D synonymous with a high risk of CVD. Conclusions Our findings have strong implications for improving the quality of life and health economics related to vascular disease in T1D. HbA1c% is the most effective biomarker, followed by FBG, LDL-C, and AI% which the clinicians could evaluate using a simple blood test or non-invasive techniques. (Protocol registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ CRD42022384636).

A new quinazolinone alkaloid, named peniquinazolinone A (1), as well as eleven known com-pounds, 2-(2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionamido)-N-methylbenzamide (2), viridicatin (3), viridicatol (4), (±)-cyclopeptin (5a/5b), dehydrocyclopeptin (6), cyclopenin (7), cyclopenol (8), methyl-indole-3-carboxylate (9), 2,5-dihydroxyphenyl acetate (10), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate (11), conidiogenone B (12), was isolated from the endophytic Penicillium sp. HJT-A-6. The chemical structures of all compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS. The absolute configuration at C-13 of peniquinazolinone A (1) was established by applying the modified Mosher’s method. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 exhibited an op-timal promoting effect on the seed germination of Rhodiola tibetica at a concentration of 0.01 mg/mL, while the optimal concentration for compounds 4 and 9 to promote Rhodiola tibetica seed germination was 0.001 mg/mL. Compound 12 showed optimal seed-germination-promoting activity at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Compared with the positive drug 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), compounds 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 12 could extend the seed-germination period of Rhodiola tibetica up to the 11th day.

Few studies have examined the dietary protein intake and sources in combination with the longitudinal changes in brain structure markers. Our study aimed to examine the association between dietary protein intake and different sources of dietary protein with the longitudinal rate of change in brain structural markers. A total of 2723 and 2679 participants from the UK Biobank were included in the analysis. The relative and absolute amounts of dietary protein intake were calculated through a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. The longitudinal change rates of brain structural biomarkers were computed using two waves of brain imaging data. We utilized multiple linear regression to examine the association between dietary protein and different sources and the longitudinal changes in brain structural biomarkers. Restrictive cubic splines were used to explore nonlinear relationships, and stratified and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Increasing the proportion of animal protein in dietary protein intake is associated with a slower reduction in the total hippocampus volume (THV, β: -0.02524, P&lt;0.05), left hippocampus volume (LHV, β: -0.02435, P&lt;0.01) and right hippocampus volume (RHV, β: -0.02544, P&lt;0.05).Higher intake of animal protein relative to plant protein is linked to a lower atrophy rate in THV (β: -0.01249, P&lt;0.05) and LHV (β: -0.01173, P&lt;0.05) and RHV (β: -0.01193, P&lt;0.05). Individuals with higher intake of seafood exhibit lower longitudinal rate of change in HV compared to those with no consume (THV, β: -0.004514; P&lt;0.05; RHV, β: -0.005527, P&lt;0.05). In subgroup and sensitivity analyses, there was not a significantly alteration. A moderate increase in the intake and proportion of animal protein in the diet, especially from seafood, is associated with a lower longitudinal change rate in hippocampus volume.

Crop productivity is directly dependent to soil fertility. High soil organic carbon (SOC) content in soil is vital as it leads to improved soil quality, increased productivity, and stable soil-aggregates. In addition, with the signing of the climate agreement, there is growing interest in carbon sequestration in landscapes. This paper looks at how SOC can be increased so that it not only contributes to reduction of CO₂, but also translates to increased food production thereby enhancing food security. This synergy between mitigation and enhancing food security is even more relevant for mountain landscapes of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region where there remains huge potential to increase CO₂ sequestration and simultaneously address food security in the chronic food deficit villages. Soil samples were collected from seven transects each in Bajhang and Mustang and from 4 land use types in each transect. Samples of soils were taken from two depths in each plot; 0-15 cm below the soil surface and 15-30 cm below the soil surface to compare the top soil and subsoil dynamics of the soil nutrients. The lab analysis was performed to assess the soil texture, soil color, soil acidity in 'power of hydrogen' (pH), macro-nutrients as soil fertility. Secondary data was used to analyze the level of food deficit in the villages. The result shows that most of the sample soils from Mustang were clay (82.1%) which is 46 samples out of 56. The pH value of soil from Bajhang ranged from 5.29 to 9.09. The pH value of soil ranged from 5.65 to 8.81 in Mustang. SOC contents of sampled soils from Bajhang ranged from 0.20% to 7.69% with mean amount of 2.47% ± 0.17. SOC contents of sampled soils from Mustang ranged from 0.51% to 8.56% with mean amount of 2.60% ± 0.25. By land use type, forest land had the highest carbon (C) content of 53.61 t ha^-1 in Bajhang whereas in Mustang, agricultural land had the highest C content of 52.02 tons ha-1. Based on these data, we can say that there is potential for increasing SOC through improved soil health and crop production and soil. Sustainable soil management should be practiced for higher productivity. Livestock may also provide farmyard manure, which can be used to fertilize cultivated soils, which increases soil productivity. Increasing productivity would aid in increasing the access and availability of food in these mountain villages.

VITEK MS PRIME (bioMerieux), a newly developed Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) system, alongside VITEK PICKME Pen (PICKME), offers easy sample preparation for bacteria and yeast. VITEK MS PRIME also offers two software platforms for filamentous fungi: the IVD database and the RUO database. Our study evaluated its identification agreement on 320 clinical isolates of bacteria and yeasts, comparing PICKME and traditional wooden toothpick sampling techniques against ASTA Mi-croIDSys Elite results. Additionally, we assessed the IVD (v3.2) and SARAMIS (v4.16) RUO data-bases on 289 filamentous fungi against molecular sequencing. The concordant rates for spe-cies-level identification of bacteria and yeasts were about 89.4% (286/320) between the PICKME and wooden toothpick, about 83.4-85.3% between VITEK MS PRIME and ASTA MicroIDSys Elite. Retesting with PICKME improved concordance to 91.9%. For filamentous fungi, species-level identification reached 71.3% with the IVD database and 85.8% with RUO, which significantly enhanced basidiomycetes' identification from 35.3% to 100%. Some strains in the IVD database, like Aspergillus vesicolor, Exophiala xenobiotica, and Nannizzia gypsea failed to be identified. VITEK MS PRIME with PICKME offers reliable and efficient microorganism identification. For fila-mentous fungi, combining the use of the RUO database can be beneficial, especially for basidi-omycetes.

African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hochst, Ex. A. Rich. Harms) is an important grain legume in sub-Saharan Africa because of its nutritional value and adaptability to various agroecological zones. To foster the varietal development of improved African yam bean (AYB) genotypes with economic traits, it is necessary to validate parental polymorphism for key markers in selecting progenies from crosses between desired parents. The study aims to analyze the genetic fidelity between parents and F1 progenies in African yam bean through putative cowpea Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Hence, a total of seventy-seven progenies were derived from four sets of biparental crossings using drought-susceptible (TSs-96, TSs-363, and TSs-274) and drought-tolerant (TSs-417, TSs-111, and TSs-78) AYB accessions. These were validated using 120 cowpea primers targeting SSR under optimal PCR conditions, and the size of the PCR-amplified DNA fragments was checked using gel electrophoresis. Twenty primers exhibited polymorphism in the parental lines, while ten displayed higher levels of the same polymorphism. The average polymorphism level for the surveyed SSR markers was 0.36. Given these findings, our study demonstrates that cowpea SSR markers are a reliable method for regular testing and clear identification of AYB crosses, indicating potential AYB improvements.

1) Background: Several studies have shown the benefit of drawing when learning anatomy. Virtual Reality (VR) also appears to be useful to increase the understanding of the location of anatomical structures. This study aims to describe how students in an Operating Room Nursing (OR nursing) master study program perceive the benefit of active learning methods, including drawing and the use of VR. 2) Methods: We combined these two methods in a class of 29 students. 38 half-finished drawings of anatomical structures were made. The students were to complete these during lectures with guidance from the teacher. The students also attended a two-hour VR session where they were to find various anatomical structures. A paper questionnaire was applied to evaluate the teaching program. Data were analyzed statistically. 3) Results: The students highly appreciated these learning methods. They reported that drawing made them work more actively during lectures and increased their learning outcome. They also perceived that the use of VR technology increased their understanding of the location of anatomical structures. 4) Conclusion: The combination of drawing and VR technology may be of benefit to OR Nursing students when learning anatomy by both increasing student activity and learning outcomes.

Background: Our previous study highlighted important healthcare access and utilization concerns among new immigrants. Hence, in this study, we aimed to explore the role of public and patient involvement (PPI) may have in enhancing the accessibility and their contribution to migration health studies. Method: An open and in-depth interactive consecutive virtual discussion was conducted among volunteer asylum seekers and refugees from Eritrea and Syria in Switzerland. The novel PPI establishment had three phases; inception, training phase, and contribution phase. Result: At the beginning, the concept of PPI was apprehensive to grasp, as it was a new approach. After training and consecutive discussions, volunteers were ardent to engage actively. Hence, among the prime findings were the PPI's role and effect in raising awareness, PPI's role in exploring and communicating the healthcare system accessibilities and utilization among their community, the impact of PPI in echoing the healthcare needs of their fellow migrants, and PPI's contribution in enhancing and strengthening migration health researches. Conclusion: The PPI volunteers in the study were keen to raise their community's awareness through their networks, and bridge the research gap between researchers and the public.

This study assesses the impact of militarization, industrialization, technological innovation, and energy consumption on CO2 emissions in NATO countries, divided into "traditional" (Group 1) and "new member" states (Group 2), using data from 1985 to 2019. It identifies heterogeneity in effects and dependencies between the groups. Employing Pedroni and Kao panel cointegration tests, a long-term equilibrium relationship among the variables is confirmed. The analysis, using panel ARDL and GMM methods, reveals distinct outcomes for each group. In Group 1, military spending and energy consumption significantly increase CO2 emissions, while industrialization and technological innovation reduce them. Conversely, in Group 2, technological innovation and energy consumption raise emissions, whereas military spending and industrialization decrease them. The findings suggest Group 1 should strategize military expenditure and energy consumption to cut emissions, whereas Group 2 should focus on eco-friendly technology and efficient energy use to achieve environmental sustainability.

The challenging terrain and deep ravines characteristic of mountainous regions often result in slower path planning and suboptimal flight paths for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) when traditional meta-heuristic optimization algorithms are employed. This study investigates the application of an Improved Enhanced Snake Optimizer (IESO) for three-dimensional path planning in a simulated rugged mountainous terrain. The initialization process in the enhanced snake optimizer is refined by integrating the Chebyshev chaotic map. Additionally, a non-monotonic factor is introduced to modulate the "temperature," and a boundary condition is incorporated into the dynamic opposition learning mechanism. These modifications collectively reduce the likelihood of population convergence to local optima during optimization. The feasibility of IESO is validated through time complexity and global convergence analyses. Comparative simulation experiments benchmarked IESO against five state-of-the-art optimization algorithms across test functions and path-planning simulated scenarios. The experimental results indicate that the enhanced algorithm achieves superior optimization precision, faster convergence speeds, and improved quality in the planned trajectories by 30%.

In this paper, we introduce a specialized, fully automated experimental arrangement designed for assessing the effectiveness of augmented and virtual reality technologies in healthcare setting and explore its design principles focusing on depth sensor characterization. The main goal of this project is to establish a robust benchtop platform for the quantitative evaluation of extended reality technologies in a controlled environment, emphasizing the practical assessment of augmented reality head-mounted devices. We outline a design concept and considerations for an experimental configuration aimed at creating a realistic testing environment. This apparatus comprises an observation platform mounted on a three-degree-of-freedom motorized system and a test phantom stage. Focusing on real-case scenarios, we utilized a range of sensors, including readily available range-sensing cameras and commercial augmented reality headsets, such as the Intel RealSense L515 LiDAR camera, mounted on the motion control system. The setup enabled automated data collection and facilitates controlled assessments and validation of various facets of augmented reality technologies, including object, hand, and head tracking, as well as static and dynamic image registration. This paper describes the system architecture, the process of automated data collection, and presents several evaluation studies conducted with this setup, providing insights into the quality and temporal noise associated with static or moving objects or observers in augmented reality applications.

We assessed the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) and psychosocial factors on screening behavior in a nationally representative sample of women in the US. A retrospective population-level cross-sectional sample was extracted from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey. Descriptive statistics were conducted for demographic characteristics and covariates. Population-based estimates with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were produced for Pap testing behaviors across study years. We used logistic regression models to assess Pap testing differences based on SDOH and psychosocial factors, adjusting for covariates, with a significance level of 0.05 for hypothesis testing. Women (n=2,224) with a mean age of 46.96 participated in the study. Our study found that 90% of women were interested in cervical cancer screening, with an 80% actual screening rate. Screening rates differed by age group and rurality. SDOH and psychosocial factors were associated with participants’ interest in screening and in actual screening behavior. The impacts of SDOH and psychosocial factors on screening behavior were 3% and 1%, respectively. The SDOH and psychosocial factors are associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in the United States. Policies must be directed at bridging the gap created by these SDOHs.

Abstract: A. baumannii exhibits resilience in harsh environments and progressively develops resistance to diverse antibacterial agents over time. This adaptability poses a significant challenge in treating an infection caused by this bacterium within healthcare settings. The presence of peptidoglycan, a crucial precursor for cell wall synthesis, contributes to this challenge. Peptidoglycan serves not only as a structural support in bacterial cells but also provides protection against adverse environmental conditions. The synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer involves a group of substrates such as N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), within a three-partitioned process occurring in the membrane, periplasmic space, and cytoplasm of each bacterium. Initiated in the cytoplasm and extending to the inner cell membrane, this synthesis starts with the production of nucleotide precursors. The first step involves the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc, orchestrated by Glm (GlmS, GlmM, and GlmU) enzymes using fructose-6-phosphate. Subsequently, enzymes from the Mur family, namely MurB, MurA, MurD, MurC, MurI, MurF, and MurE, synthesize UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide (UDP-Mpp) from UDP-GlcNAc. Concurrently, on the cytosolic side, the production of membrane-surrounded undecaprenyl phosphate occurs, involving membrane-side proteins MraY and MurG in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan. This review emphasizes updated information on Mur family proteins, encompassing physicochemical properties, nature of binding site, number and type of binding site residues, functional domain details, three-dimensional structural aspects, and their functions within bacterial cells. Special attention is directed towards their enzymatic role in peptidoglycan biosynthesis due to the limited availability of precursors in the market. Additionally, the review provides a comprehensive summary of existing inhibitors and ongoing efforts in identifying new targeted inhibitors, recognizing these enzymes as potential candidates for antibacterial drug design and discovery.

The cause of the systematic daily march of barometric pressure in the tropics, notably the late morning and late evening peaks seen almost every day at all locations, was a puzzle that persisted through the nineteenth and much of the twentieth centuries. The efforts to explain the physics of the prominent 12-hour solar tidal variation helped inspire some of the earliest developments in theoretical atmospheric dynamics and ultimately led in the 1960’s to a satisfactory dynamical theory for the atmospheric tides. These important theoretical developments followed the observational discoveries, which date to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, of the surprising character of the barometric daily march and of its resolution into solar and lunar period cycles. These important, if simple, discoveries emerged primarily from the efforts of European scientists to systematically study the environment in remote areas of the globe. The two key figures in initially advancing the scientific community’s understanding of the character of barometric tides were the great German polymath Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and the French naturalist Robert de Lamanon (1752-1787), who each made their discoveries on their most famous and colorful scientific expeditions of their respective careers. This paper examines the history of the early observations of the barometric tide.

To assess the community health workers’ (CHWs) knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) in type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) management. We thus also sought to assess the potential health system barriers for incorporating CHWs in T2D and HTN management. Mixed-method study comprised (1) a survey among 153 active CHWs to assess their KAP of T2D and HTN, and (2) semi-structured interviews with key informants to understand challenges of the health system and proposed solutions in incorporating CHWs in T2D and HTN management. The majority of CHWs correctly answered general knowledge questions on NCDs, risk factors, and prevention; however, only one-quarter correctly answered questions on smoking, family history, or tobacco use as risk factors. Most respondents appeared to have positive attitudes and have been practicing some activities related to T2D and HTN. Both financial and non-financial resource constraints were cited as challenges of the health system; therefore, re-structuring the role definition of CHWs and task of responsibilities, and assessment the need and workload have been proposed as ways forwards to effectively incorporate CHWs in T2D and HTN care. CHWs in Cambodia have shown their potential in T2D and HTN management; however, a well-designed strategy including technical training, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and strong supporting structure are important to maximize their potential in the health system.

Background. Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), and CD98hc are candidates for targeted therapy at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Our objective was to challenge the expression of TfR1, GLUT1, and CD98hc in brain capillaries by the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) valproic acid (VPA). Methods. Primary mouse brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) and brain capillaries isolated from mice injected intraperitoneally with VPA were examined using RT-qPCR and ELISA. Targeting to the BBB was performed by injecting monoclonal anti-TfR1 (Ri7217)-conjugated gold nanoparticles measured using ICP-MS. Results. In BCECs co-cultured with glial cells, Tfrc mRNA expression was significantly higher after 6 h VPA returning to baseline after 24 h. In vivo Glut1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in males, but not females', receiving VPA, whereas Cd98hc mRNA expression was unaffected by VPA. TfR1 increased significantly in vivo after VPA, whereas GLUT1 and CD98hc were unchanged. Uptake of anti-TfR1-conjugated nanoparticles was unaltered by VPA in spite upregulated TfR expression. Conclusions. VPA upregulates TfR1 in brain endothelium in vivo and in vitro. VPA does not increase GLUT1 and CD98hc proteins. The increase in TfR1 does not result in higher anti-TfR1 antibody targetability, suggesting targeting sufficiently occurs with available transferrin receptors without further contribution from accessory VPA-induced TfR1.

The COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in global vaccine coverage and disrupted routine childhood vaccination practices worldwide. While there is ample evidence of vaccination declines experienced during the pandemic, it is less clear how low-income countries were affected. We executed a systematic review to synthesize the current literature on impacts to routine childhood vaccinations in low-income countries from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2023. We collected data using an extraction form on Covidence and assessed the quality of studies included in the review using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Effect estimates for changes in vaccination during the pandemic were reported and summarized. Factors that influenced changes were grouped into descriptive themes. Thirteen studies, encompassing 18 low-income countries and evaluating 15 vaccines at varying doses, were included in the final review. We found that routine childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic varied considerably by vaccine type, location, and phase of the pandemic. Nine different themes were identified as factors that influenced changes in vaccination. Documenting past experiences and lessons learned is crucial for informing preparedness efforts in anticipation of future public health emergencies. Failure to effectively address these things in the next public health emergency could result in a recurrence of declining routine childhood vaccinations.

During the last few years, the world witnessed one of the worst calamities to humankind- the COVID-19 pandemic. We also witnessed the development of vaccines at an unprecedented pace against the SARS-CoV-2- the causative agent. India was among the hard-hit countries by COVID-19, developed its indigenous vaccine and implemented vaccines developed in other countries as well. Initially, the antibody level and the neutralizing antibody titer against the pathogen were considered as the correlates of immune protection from the disease. However, the long-term protection from the pathogen was provided by the immune memory cells viz. T and B memory cells and their ability to efficiently make recall responses. In this regard, globally the research studies focused mainly on the mRNA-based vaccines. The studies on immune memory response, particularly- the B cell memory response bestowed by the vaccines given to Indians is relatively obscure. We studied the level of RBD specific memory B cells in the peripheral circulation of the study participants and the ability of B cells to secrete antigen-specific antibodies among Indians vaccinated with Covaxin (BBV152), Covishield (AZD1222), Corbevax (BECOV2D) and Sputnik Light (Gam-COVID-Vac) as well as unvaccinated individuals. Our study revealed that Corbevax and Sputnik Light conferred better antibody-secreting cell (ASC) responses.

Coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) has emerged as the predominant causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in young children. Since the declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic, the incidence of infectious diseases, including HFMD, has decreased markedly. When social mitigation was relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, re-emergence of HFMD was observed in Gwangju, South Korea, and seasonal characteristics of the disease appeared to have changed. To investigate the molecular characteristics of enterovirus (EV) associated with HFMD during 2022, 277 specimens were collected. Children aged under 5 years accounted for the majority of affected individuals. EV detection and genotyping were performed using real-time RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR followed by sequence analysis. EV detection rate was found to be 82.3%, and the main genotype identified was CV-A6. Sixteen CV-A6 samples were selected for whole genome sequencing. According to phylogenetic analysis, all CV-A6 strains from this study belonged to the sub-genotype D3 clade based on VP1 sequences. Analysis of 3D polymerase phylogeny showed that only the recombinant RF-A group was identified. In conclusion, circulating EV types should be continuously monitored to understand pathogen emergence and evolution during the post-pandemic era.

Proper Post-Activation Performance Enhancement helps to improve athletic performance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two different velocity loss (VL), 10%VL and 20%VL, on post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) in 20m sprint performance among sprint athletes. Twenty-four male sprint athletes (100m sprint time: 10.96±0.15 s) were recruited. A randomized crossover experimental design was used for traditional group (TG), 10%VL, and 20%VL interventions. Sprint tests were conducted at the 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th minutes after the intervention. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed an interaction effect between group and time on 20m sprint performance (F=2.817, p=0.037, partial η²=0.585). Simple effect analyses showed significant differences compared to baseline at the 4th minute for the 20%VL group (P&lt;0.05). Cohen's d values indicated improvement in 10m sprint times at the 8th minute of the rest interval for all three intervention groups (TG: ES=-0.270, 10%VL: ES=-0.038, 20%VL: ES=-0.279). Improvement in 20m sprint times was observed at the 4th minute for the 20%VL group (ES=-0.296) and at the 16th minute for the 10%VL group (ES=-0.276). Compared to traditional PAPE schemes based on 1RM, PAPE schemes based on velocity loss (20%VL) can better induce PAPE effects in sprint athletes.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. Recent data highlight similarities between neurodegenerative diseases including PD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) suggesting a crucial interplay between the gut–brain axis. GLP-1R agonists, known for their use in T2DM treatment, are currently extensively studied as novel PD modifying agents. For this narrative review article, we searched PubMed and Scopus databases for peer-reviewed research, review articles and clinical trials regarding GLP-1R agonists and PD, published in the English language with no time restrictions. We also screened the references of the selected articles for possible additional articles in order to include most of the key recent evidence. Our research was conducted between February 2023 and February 2024. We used the terms “GLP-1”, “GLP-1 receptor”, “GLP-1R agonists”, “PD”, “T2DM”, “insulin”, “neurodegenerative disease”, “glucose”, “animal models”, “clinical trials” in different combinations. Many data on animal models and preclinical studies show that GLP1-R agonists can restore dopamine levels, inhibit dopaminergic loss, attenuate neuronal degeneration and alleviate motor and non-motor features of PD. Evidence from clinical studies are also very promising enhancing the possibility of adding GLP1-R agonists in the current armamentarium of drugs available for PD treatment.