Impact of reconstruction algorithms at different sphere-to-background ratios on PET quantification: A phantom study.

Using National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) phantom, the behavior of four distinct Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) reconstruction algorithms was investigated. These reconstruction algorithms were (Ordered Subset Expectation Maximization (OSEM), OSEM+ (Point Spread Function) PSF, OSEM + Time of Flight (TOF), and OSEM + TOF + PSF), and the focus was on sphere sizes and SBRs using recovery coefficients as a quantitation method. The obtained results demonstrated the significant effect of TOF on Gibbs artifact and Partial Volume Effect (PVE) at various Sphere-to-Background Ratios (SBRs).

Feasibility of a Mobile Application for Self and Assisted Reporting of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Self-Testing Results in Tanzania: A Pilot Study.

A critical impediment to efficient outbreak response is the availability of timely and complete data on cases and their linkage to care. To inform solutions to this issue, this study investigated the utility of self-testers reporting their coronavirus disease 2019 results using a mobile health platform. Our study has demonstrated that the mobile health platform is feasible; it achieved a 74.

Performance of real-time polymerase chain reaction and Kato-Katz for diagnosing soil-transmitted helminth infections and evaluating treatment efficacy of emodepside in randomized controlled trials.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends the use of the microscopy-based Kato-Katz thick smear for diagnosing soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. Despite its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, the Kato-Katz method faces challenges, including reader subjectivity and reduced sensitivity. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology offers standardized readouts and higher sensitivity, making it suitable for STH diagnosis and monitoring the treatment efficacy of emodepside within the framework of randomized controlled trials.

Indications for Surgery and Surgical Options in Chiari Malformation: WFNS Spine Committee Recommendations.

Study Design: A systematic literature review and consensus using Delphi method.

Objectives: This review aims to create recommendations on the surgical indications and approaches to treat Chiari Malformation (CM) with or without syringomyelia.

Summary Of Background Data: Despite the growing body of knowledge on CM, there are diverse and sometimes contradicting perspective about surgical indications and procedures in both pediatric and adult populations.

Investigating the Impact of Voxel Size and Postfiltering on Quantitative Analysis of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography: A Phantom Study.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the influence of voxel size and postfiltering on the quantification of standardized uptake value (SUV) in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images.

Materials And Methods: National Electrical Manufacturers Association phantom with the spheres of different sizes were utilized to simulate the lesions. The phantom was scanned using a PET/CT scanner, and the acquired images were reconstructed using two different matrix sizes, (192 × 192) and (256 × 256), and a wide range of postfiltering values.

Diagnosis, Classifications and Treatment of Os Odontoideum: WFNS Spine Committee Recommendations.

Study Design: A systematic literature review and consensus using Delphi method.

Objective: The aim was to formulate consensus recommendations regarding the natural history, diagnosis, classification and optimal treatment of Os Odontoideum with global applicability.

Summary Of Background: Os odontoideum (OO) is a rare anomaly of the cranio-vertebral junction (CVJ).

"If my husband was in the labor ward with me, my baby wouldn't have died"; experiences on birth companionship from a tertiary health facility, Tanzania.

Background: Despite existing policies promoting companionship, it remains uncommon in Tanzania. Pregnant women select a trusted individual to accompany them during childbirth, providing emotional, physical, and spiritual support. The World Health Organization recommends birth companionship as integral to intrapartum care for positive maternal and fetal outcomes.

Trichuriasis in Human Patients from Côte d'Ivoire Caused by Novel Trichuris incognita Species with Low Sensitivity to Albendazole/Ivermectin Combination Treatment.

Albendazole/ivermectin combination therapy is a promising alternative to benzimidazole monotherapy alone for Trichuris trichiura control. We used fecal DNA metabarcoding to genetically characterize Trichuris spp. populations in patient samples from Côte d'Ivoire showing lower (egg reduction rate <70%) albendazole/ivermectin sensitivity than those from Laos and Tanzania (egg reduction rates >98%).

Resolving Taxonomic Ambiguities in Ascaris Species: Insights From a Scanning Electron Microscopy Study of Ascaris lumbricoides.

Ascariasis, caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, is a major public health issue, especially in developing nations such as Pakistan. It impacts millions, causing significant morbidity through starvation, stunted growth in children, and a variety of gastrointestinal issues. The taxonomy of the Ascaris genus, notably the distinction between A.

Interplay Between Helminth Infections, Malnutrition, and Gut Microbiota in Children and Mothers from Pemba, Tanzania: Potential of Microbiota-Directed Interventions.

Background/objectives: Despite efforts within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goal to end malnutrition by 2030, malnutrition and soil-transmitted helminth infections persist in sub-Saharan Africa. A significant barrier to success is the inadequate understanding of effective intervention methods. Most research on the gut microbiota's role in health has been conducted in developed countries, leaving a critical gap in knowledge regarding low-income populations.

One-year impact of behavioural interventions on schistosomiasis-related knowledge, attitude and practices of primary schoolchildren in Pemba, Tanzania.

Background: Elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem and interruption of transmission in selected areas are goals set by the World Health Organization for 2030. Behaviour change communication (BCC), coupled with other interventions, is considered an essential measure to reduce the transmission of Schistosoma infection. Focusing on elimination, we assessed the 1-year impact of BCC interventions on schistosomiasis-related knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of schoolchildren in hotspot schools versus low-prevalence schools that did not receive the interventions.

Pharmacometric Analysis to Describe Pharmacokinetics and Exposure-Efficacy Response of Ivermectin in Adolescents Infected with Trichuris trichiura.

The efficacy of the combination therapy of albendazole and ivermectin against Trichuris trichiura infection is higher in Tanzania than in Côte d'Ivoire. This study therefore aimed to investigate the difference between the population pharmacokinetics (PK) at these study sites and to determine if an exposure-response analysis could explain the low efficacy of the combination therapy in Côte d'Ivoire. Twenty-four participants (aged 12-19 years) receiving single doses of ivermectin (200 µg/kg) and albendazole (400 mg) were included in the population PK modeling.

Modeling transmission mechanism to infer treatment efficacy of different drugs and combination therapy against Trichuris trichiura.

Trichuris trichiura is one of four soil-transmitted helminth species that, collectively, are responsible for a considerable public health burden. The World Health Organization recommends preventive chemotherapy as the main intervention to eliminate soil-transmitted helminthiasis as a public health problem. Clinical trials estimated the efficacy of different drugs and treatment regimen against T.

Efficacy and safety of emodepside compared with albendazole in adolescents and adults with hookworm infection in Pemba Island, Tanzania: a double-blind, superiority, phase 2b, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Human hookworm is a cause of enormous global morbidity. Current treatments have insufficient efficacy and their extensive and indiscriminate distribution could also result in drug resistance. Therefore, we tested the efficacy and safety of emodepside, a strong anthelmintic candidate that is currently undergoing clinical development for onchocerciasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections.

Refining the Schistosoma haematobium recombinase polymerase amplification (Sh-RPA) assay: moving towards point-of-care use in endemic settings.

Background: Urogenital schistosomiasis is caused by the parasitic trematode Schistosoma haematobium. Sensitive and specific point-of-care diagnostics are needed for elimination of this disease. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays meet these criteria, and an assay to diagnose S.

Test-treat-track-test-treat (5T) approach for Schistosoma haematobium elimination on Pemba Island, Tanzania.

Background: After decades of praziquantel mass drug administration (MDA), several countries approach schistosomiasis elimination. Continuing MDA in largely uninfected populations no longer seems justified. Alternative interventions to maintain the gains or accelerate interruption of transmission are needed.

Does the implementation of revised American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines improve the identification of stillbirths and preterm births in hypertensive pregnancies: a population-based cohort study from South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a significant cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The classification and treatment of hypertension in pregnancy remain debated. We aim to compare the effectiveness of the revised 2017 ACC/AHA blood pressure threshold in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Studies on the effect of curcumin and quercetin in the liver of male albino rats exposed to gamma irradiation.

Ionizing radiation produces deleterious effects on living organisms. The present investigation has been carried out to study the prophylactic as well as the therapeutic effects of treated rats with quercetin (Quer) and curcumin (Cur), which are two medicinal herbs known for their antioxidant activities against damages induced by whole-body fractionated gamma irradiation. Exposure of rats to whole-body gamma irradiation induced a significant decrease in erythrocyte (RBC), leukocyte (WBCs), platelet count (Plt), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), hematocrit (Hct %), mean erythrocyte hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and mean erythrocyte volume (MCV); a high increase in plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); a nonsignificant statistical decrease in the mean value of serum glutathione (GSH); a significant increase in plasma alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), alkaline phosphates (ALP), serum total protein, serum total cholesterol levels, total triglycerides levels, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels; and with marked histological changes and structural changes measured by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR).

Refugee health and physiological profiles in transitional settlements in Serbia and Kenya: Comparative evidence for effects of gender and social support.

When armed conflict compels people to flee from their homelands, they embark on protracted journeys during which they experience wide ranging physical, social, and psychological challenges. Few studies have focused on refugee psychosocial and physiological profiles during the transitional phase of forced migration that often involves temporary sheltering. Transient refugees' experiences can vary substantially based on local socio-ecological conditions in temporary settlements, including the length of stay, living conditions, as well as the availability and accessibility of physical and social resources.

Menstrual health and hygiene knowledge among post menarche adolescent school girls in urban and rural Tanzania.

Adolescent girls' capacity to lead healthy lives and perform well in school has been hampered by their lack of awareness about menstruation and the requirements for its hygienic management. Lack of enabling infrastructure, improper menstrual supplies, and limited socioeconomic support for good menstrual health and cleanliness are characteristics of schools in Africa South of the Sahara. We evaluated school-age girls' knowledge of menstrual hygiene and identified bottlenecks that could affect policy and programming for menstrual health and hygiene.

Early to mid-pregnancy HbA1c levels and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes in three low middle-income countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Hyperglycemia during pregnancy leads to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Thus, strict monitoring of blood glucose levels is warranted. This study aims to determine the association of early to mid-pregnancy HbA1c levels with the development of pregnancy complications in women from three countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.