Circulating microRNAs in Body Fluid: "Fingerprint" RNA Snippets Deeply Impact Reproductive Biology.

Circulating miRNAs (C-miRNAs) occuring in a cell-free form within body fluids and other extracellular environments have garnered attention in recent times. They offer deeper insight into various physiological and pathological processes which include reproductive health. This review delves into their diagnostic potential across a spectrum of reproductive disorders, including conditions affecting ovarian function, male infertility and post pregnancy issues.

Estimating regional and national cancer incidence in Uganda: a retrospective population-based study, 2013-2017.

Background: Cancer is becoming a major health problem in Uganda. Cancer control requires accurate estimates of the cancer burden for planning and monitoring of the cancer control strategies. However, cancer estimates and trends for Uganda are mainly based on one population-based cancer registry (PBCR), located in Kampala, the capital city, due to a lack of PBCRs in other regions.

Advances in Addressing Patient Heterogeneity in Economic Evaluation: A Review of the Methods Literature.

Cost-effectiveness analyses commonly use population or sample averages, which can mask key differences across subgroups and may lead to suboptimal resource allocation. Despite there being several new methods developed over the last decade, there is no recent summary of what methods are available to researchers. This review sought to identify advances in methods for addressing patient heterogeneity in economic evaluations and to provide an overview of these methods.

Homozygous HLA-DQB1*06:02 combined with T-cell receptor alpha polymorphism results in narcolepsy onset - A familial case report.

Narcolepsy is a life-long neurological disorder with well-established genetic risk factors. Human leukocyte antigen-DQB1*06:02 remains the strongest genetic predeterminant; however, polymorphisms in genes encoding the T-cell receptor alpha chain are also strongly linked. This case report shows the inheritance pathway of these genetic markers contributing to narcolepsy onset in a 17-year-old female.

A cross-sectional survey on the effectiveness of public health campaigns for changing knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Kenyan informal settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We performed two cross-sectional surveys across three informal settlements in Kenya (within Kisii county, Nairobi, and Nakuru county) to study the effectiveness of public health interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 720 participants were surveyed from 120 randomly selected geographical locations (240 participants/settlement/survey), and a coordinated health promotion campaign was delivered between the two surveys by trained staff. Information relating to knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) were collected by trained field workers using a validated questionnaire.

Intercultural gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes of public health professionals: a systematic review.

Background: Previous cultural competence reviews focused on medical professions. Identifying intercultural competence gaps for public health professionals is long overdue. Gaps will inform training to work effectively within increasingly diverse cultural contexts.

Identifying indicators for the evaluation of community interventions and initiatives in a multi-site public health programme.

Introduction: Measuring success of community-level programmes and interventions is important, and indicators can provide valuable information to achieve this. However, identifying appropriate indicators can be challenging. Indicators can be identified by official local stakeholders such as local authorities, but involving communities can add value and trust to the project, with community involvement likely to improve programme sustainability.

The impact of education level on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards COVID-19 in Edo State, Nigeria.

Background: For effective Public Health measures, factors that influence Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) need to be understood. In this paper, we document the relationship between levels of education on the KAP towards COVID-19 among the population of Edo State, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional KAP questionnaire was delivered across 13 communities.

An evaluation of the Birchwood Junk Food Café, Skelmersdale.

Food waste is an issue of global concern requiring worldwide action. In the UK, £19 billion worth of food is wasted every year. A variety of initiatives have been developed to redistribute surplus food to those in need.

Association between alcohol use and frailty among elder adults in three Chinese cities.

Background: Frailty is often described as a condition of the elderly and alcohol use is associated with frailty. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between alcohol use and frailty in three cities in elder adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities in China from June 2017 to October 2018.

Shaping care home COVID-19 testing policy: a protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of asymptomatic testing compared with standard care in care home staff (VIVALDI-CT).

Introduction: Care home residents have experienced significant morbidity, mortality and disruption following outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. Regular SARS-CoV-2 testing of care home staff was introduced to reduce transmission of infection, but it is unclear whether this remains beneficial. This trial aims to investigate whether use of regular asymptomatic staff testing, alongside funding to reimburse sick pay for those who test positive and meet costs of employing agency staff, is a feasible and effective strategy to reduce COVID-19 impact in care homes.

Estimating cancer incidence in Uganda: a feasibility study for periodic cancer surveillance research in resource limited settings.

Background: Population based cancer registries (PBCRs) are accepted as the gold standard for estimating cancer incidence in any population. However, only 15% of the world's population is covered by high quality cancer registries with coverage as low as 1.9% in settings such as Africa.

Molecular and cellular remodeling of HepG2 cells upon treatment with antitubercular drugs.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an adverse outcome of the currently used tuberculosis treatment regimen, which results in patient noncompliance, poor treatment outcomes, and the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis. DILI is primarily caused by the toxicity of the drugs and their metabolites, which affect liver cells, biliary epithelial cells, and liver vasculature. However, the precise mechanism behind the cellular damage attributable to first-line antitubercular drugs (ATDs), as well as the effect of toxicity on the cell survival strategies, is yet to be elucidated.

Effectiveness of Public Health Digital Surveillance Systems for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control at Mass Gatherings: Systematic Review.

Background: Mass gatherings (MGs; eg, religious, sporting, musical, sociocultural, and other occasions that draw large crowds) pose public health challenges and concerns related to global health. A leading global concern regarding MGs is the possible importation and exportation of infectious diseases as they spread from the attendees to the general population, resulting in epidemic outbreaks. Governments and health authorities use technological interventions to support public health surveillance and prevent and control infectious diseases.

The association of fear of falling and physical and mental Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among community-dwelling older persons; a cross-sectional study of Urban Health Centres Europe (UHCE).

Background: The share of people over 80 years in the European Union is estimated to increase two-and-a-half-fold from 2000 to 2100. A substantial share of older persons experiences fear of falling. This fear is partly associated with a fall in the recent past.

Understanding who is and isn't involved and engaged in health research: capturing and analysing demographic data to diversify patient and public involvement and engagement.

Background: Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) can improve the relevance, quality, ethics and impact of research thus contributing to high quality research. Currently in the UK, people who get involved in research tend to be aged 61 years or above, White and female. Calls for greater diversity and inclusion in PPIE have become more urgent especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, so that research can better address health inequalities and be relevant for all sectors of society.

Modelling the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on workplace transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the home-delivery sector.

Objective: We aimed to use mathematical models of SARS-COV-2 to assess the potential efficacy of non-pharmaceutical interventions on transmission in the parcel delivery and logistics sector.

Methods: We devloped a network-based model of workplace contacts based on data and consultations from companies in the parcel delivery and logistics sectors. We used these in stochastic simulations of disease transmission to predict the probability of workplace outbreaks in this settings.

Prevalence, trends and distribution of lifestyle cancer risk factors in Uganda: a 20-year systematic review.

Background: Cancer is becoming an important public health problem in Uganda. Cancer control requires surveillance of lifestyle risk factors to inform targeted interventions. However, only one national Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factor survey has been conducted in Uganda.

The association between frailty and the risk of medication-related problems among community-dwelling older adults in Europe.

Background: Studies revealed unidirectional associations between frailty and medication-related problems (MRPs) among older adults. Less is known about the association between frailty and the risk of MRPs. We aimed to assess the bi-directional association between frailty and the risk of MRPs in community-dwelling older adults in five European countries.

Immunological aspects of host-pathogen crosstalk in the co-pathogenesis of diabetes and latent tuberculosis.

Introduction: Diabetes is a potent risk factor for the activation of latent tuberculosis and worsens the tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome. The major reason for mortality and morbidity in diabetic patients is due to their increased susceptibility to TB. Thus, the study was conducted to understand the crosstalk between and its host upon latent tuberculosis infection and under hyperglycemic conditions or diabetes.

Factors associated with polypharmacy and the high risk of medication-related problems among older community-dwelling adults in European countries: a longitudinal study.

Background: Polypharmacy can be defined as using five or more medications simultaneously. "Medication-related problems", an extension of polypharmacy, includes inappropriate prescribing, poor adherence, overdosage, underdosage, inappropriate drug selection, inadequate monitoring, adverse drug effects, and drug interactions. Polypharmacy and the high risk of medication-related problems among older people are associated with adverse health consequences due to drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, and adverse drug effects.

The use of community problem solving in undergraduate nurse education: A literature review.

Background: To effectively realise their role in health promotion nurses need a clear understanding of the social determinants of health. In 1987 the WHO recommended that students participate in meaningful community based problem-solving to prepare them for health promotion practice, including actual or simulated community health projects.

Objective: To explore the use of community problem-solving in undergraduate nurse education and its impact on students' understanding of population health.

Agility and Sustainability: A Qualitative Evaluation of COVID-19 Non-pharmaceutical Interventions in the UK Logistics Sector.

Background: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 triggered a chain of public health responses that radically changed our way of living and working. Non-healthcare sectors, such as the logistics sector, play a key role in such responses. This research aims to qualitatively evaluate the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented in the UK logistics sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.