Effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on childhood health.

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of health issues in the offspring. Accordingly, recent Endocrine Society guidelines strongly support supplementation in pregnancy, also underlining that without consensus on optimal maternal vitamin D levels, routine screening is currently irrelevant. Knowledge of organ-specific effects of vitamin D and its association with maternal vitamin D status may aid to optimize vitamin D supplementation.

Butyrate increases cardiac output and causes vasorelaxation in a healthy porcine model.

Background: Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, has shown potential to improve left ventricular (LV) function and induce vasorelaxation in rodents. Butyrate may either be produced by the microbiome in the colon, be ingested or administered intravenously. This study aimed to evaluate effects of butyrate on cardiac output (CO) and associated hemodynamic variables in a porcine model.

Novel Bat-Monitoring Dataset Reveals Targeted Foraging With Agricultural and Pest Control Implications.

Quantifying ecosystem services provided by mobile species like insectivorous bats remains a challenge, particularly in understanding where and how these services vary over space and time. Bats are known to offer valuable ecosystem services, such as mitigating insect pest damage to crops, reducing pesticide use, and reducing nuisance pest populations. However, determining where bats forage is difficult to monitor.

Digital health for early psychosis in Ghana: patient and caregiver needs and preferences.

In West Africa, the long-term consequences of poor early psychosis recovery include poverty, neglect, and community ostracization. To understand the potential for digital health approaches to support early psychosis care in Ghana, we conducted a survey study among early psychosis patients and their caregivers about mental health needs, technology use and access, and interest in digital mental health. Hospital staff at Accra Psychiatric Hospital reviewed hospital medical records from January 2023 - December 2023 identifying young adults (≥18 years old) who had experienced psychosis symptoms for the first time within the prior five years.

Effect of Improved Provider Communication and Adherence to Guidelines on PrEP Initiation in Kisumu Kenya.

Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Kenya have low pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation rates in part due to stigmatizing interactions with health care providers. Our recent randomized clinical trial of a standardized patient actor (SP) training intervention for providers found higher quality PrEP delivery at intervention sites, however it was unclear whether improved service quality improved PrEP initiation.

Methods: This analysis used routine records from facilities participating in the randomized trial which aimed to improve provider communication and adherence to Kenyan guidelines when offering PrEP to AGYW.