Improving sleep quality in maternity patients in a Singapore academic hospital: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Prolonged sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality are common complaints among pregnant and postpartum women, and they have adverse effects on the physiological and psychological well-being of mothers antenatally and postnatally.

Objectives: The aim of this project was to improve antenatal and postnatal mothers' night-time sleep quality during hospitalization in an obstetric ward through multi-faceted interventions.

Methods: This project followed the JBI Model of Evidence-based Healthcare and applied the seven phases of the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework to conduct context analysis, strategy implementation, and review of practice using evidence-based audit criteria.

Development of a broad-spectrum epitope-based vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) is a significant pathogen causing pneumonia and meningitis, particularly in vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. Available pneumonia vaccines have limitations since they only cover particular serotypes and have high production costs. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant SPN strains further underscores the need for a new, cost-effective, broad-spectrum vaccine.

Vitamin D supplementations and mortality among patients with moderate/severe COVID-19: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with severe COVID 19 and poor outcomes. However, the role of Vitamin D supplementation on mortality is controversial. The current meta analysis aimed to investigate the same among patients with COVID 19.

Bivalent SMAC mimetic APG-1387 reduces HIV reservoirs and limits viral rebound in humanized mice.

Latent viral reservoirs (VRs) represent a main barrier to HIV cure. Thus, developing new approaches that can purge and eliminate VRs paves the path toward achieving an HIV-1 cure. APG-1387, a bivalent SMAC mimetic (SM), efficiently reactivates latent HIV expression in T cell line models and enhances active caspase 3 expression, a condition that typically leads to apoptosis.

Synthesis of pyrano[3,2-]chromene-2,5-diones from 4-hydroxycoumarins and aminocrotonates under solvent-free conditions.

A new one-pot approach was developed for the construction of pyrano[3,2-]chromene-2,5-diones by reacting 4-hydroxycoumarins with ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanoates in the presence of ammonium salts or aminocrotonates under solvent-free conditions. The title compounds were formed by intramolecular cyclization through new C-C and C-O bonds. Structure assignment of compound 3e was confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis.

miRNAome-metabolome wide association study reveals effects of miRNA regulation in eosinophilia and airflow obstruction in childhood asthma.

Background: There are important inter-relationships between miRNAs and metabolites: alterations in miRNA expression can be induced by various metabolic stimuli, and miRNAs play a regulatory role in numerous cellular processes, impacting metabolism. While both specific miRNAs and metabolites have been identified for their role in childhood asthma, there has been no global assessment of the combined effect of miRNAs and the metabolome in childhood asthma.

Methods: We performed miRNAome-metabolome-wide association studies ('miR-metabo-WAS') in two childhood cohorts of asthma to evaluate the contemporaneous and persistent miRNA-metabolite associations: 1) Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (GACRS) (N = 1121); 2) the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) (N = 312 and N = 454).

Comparative analysis of heavy metals toxicity in drinking water of selected industrial zones in Gujranwala, Pakistan.

Heavy metal contamination of drinking water, primarily driven by industrial activities, represents a critical challenge, with implications for human health and environmental safety. Gujranwala is an industrial and thickly populated city. The current study aimed to assess and compare heavy metal contamination levels in drinking water from five industrial areas and evaluate their potential impacts on human health.

Medical ambivalence and Long Covid: The disconnects, entanglements, and productivities shaping ethnic minority experiences in the UK.

Structural violence - related to 'isms' like racism, sexism, and ableism - pertains to the ways in which social institutions harm certain groups. Such violence is critical to institutional indifference to the plight of ethnic minority people living with long-term health conditions. With only emergent literature on the lived experiences of ethnic minorities with Long Covid, we sought to investigate experiences around the interplay of illness and structural vulnerabilities.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential: Ta'līq al-'Alaq (Leech Therapy) for Qarha Khabītha (Non-Healing Ulcer): A Case Study.

Non-healing ulcers are chronic lesions, often found on the lower extremities, persisting for over three months despite adequate care. They are associated with systemic diseases or local disorders and significantly impact the quality of life, often resisting conventional treatments, which can be costly and pose side effects. Ta'liq al-Alaq (leech therapy), a regimen in Ilaj-Bit-Tadbeer of Unani medicine, offers an alternative based on the principle of Istifrāgh (expulsion of morbid humours).

Preoperative activation of the renin-angiotensin system and myocardial injury in noncardiac surgery: exploratory mechanistic analysis of the SPACE randomised controlled trial.

Background: Hypertension therapy in older adults is often suboptimal, in part because of inadequate suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). We hypothesised that distinct endotypes of RAAS activation before noncardiac surgery are associated with increased risk of myocardial injury.

Methods: This was a prespecified exploratory analysis of a multicentre randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN17251494) which randomised patients ≥60 yr old undergoing elective noncardiac surgery to either continue or stop RAAS inhibitors (determined by pharmacokinetic profiles).

Cytotoxicity assays for cancer drug screening: methodological insights and considerations for reliable assessment in drug discovery.

The importance of cytotoxicity assays in in vitro drug discovery investigations has led to their rising profile. Drugs and other substances can disrupt cell membranes, limit protein synthesis, and bind irreversibly to receptors, all of which lead to cell death in cancer cells. To precisely measure the cell death resulting from these damages, one must choose a cytotoxicity test that meets specific criteria.

Ketamine induces plasticity in a norepinephrine-astroglial circuit to promote behavioral perseverance.

Transient exposure to ketamine can trigger lasting changes in behavior and mood. We found that brief ketamine exposure causes long-term suppression of futility-induced passivity in larval zebrafish, reversing the "giving-up" response that normally occurs when swimming fails to cause forward movement. Whole-brain imaging revealed that ketamine hyperactivates the norepinephrine-astroglia circuit responsible for passivity.

Point-of-care tests for urinary tract infections to reduce antimicrobial resistance: a systematic review and conceptual economic model.

Background: Urinary tract infections are diagnosed by general practitioners based on symptoms, dipstick tests in some and laboratory urine culture. Patients may be given inappropriate antibiotics. Point-of-care tests can diagnose urinary tract infection in near-patient settings quicker than standard culture.

Challenges and Insights Gained During the Implementation of Population-Based Birth Defect (BD) Surveillance in a Tribal District of Maharashtra, India.

Birth Defects (BDs) are a significant contributor to childhood mortality worldwide, yet BD surveillance and management in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like India remain under-prioritised. This article presents findings from a population-based BD surveillance conducted in the Palghar district, Maharashtra, India, aimed at identifying challenges and solutions in the implementation of BD surveillance. The data on BDs was collected between April 2021 and March 2023 from 38 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), nine Rural Hospitals (RH) and three Sub-district Hospitals (SDH) from seven tribal blocks of Palghar district.

Public Health Impact of Introducing a Pentavalent Vaccine Against Invasive Meningococcal Disease in the United States.

Background: Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is primarily associated with five Neisseria meningitidis serogroups: A, B, C, W, or Y. In the United States (US), available vaccines protect against serogroups B (MenB), A, C, W, and Y (MenACWY), and A, B, C, W, and Y (MenABCWY). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is re-evaluating the adolescent meningococcal vaccination schedule with varying recommendation formats.

Evaluation of design and device parameters for lead-free SrPBr/SrNCl duel-layer perovskite photovoltaic device technology.

The study looks into how SrPBr and SrNCl double perovskite materials can be used as absorbers in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Computational SrPBr and SrNCl simulations were employed to assess the performance of each absorber together with electron transport layers (ETL), with a particular emphasis on optimizing ETL thickness to improve charge transport and synchronize current outputs. The simulations yielded valuable insights into the electronic and optical characteristics of the individual absorbers.

A facile synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles as a nano-sensor to detect levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in human blood and evaluation of their biological activities.

A rapid synthesis of a pH-stable magnetic nano-sensor (iron oxide nanoparticles, Fe-NPs, ∼2.6 nm) encapsulated with 3-aminobenzoic acid (3-ABA) was achieved. 3-ABA was prepared for the first time through the reduction of 3-nitrobenzoic acid (3-NBA) in the presence of HCl and tin.

Synthesis and characterization of p-CuO/n-ZnO heterostructured composite thin films for the detection of formaldehyde gas.

We report the synthesis and characterization of pure CuO and CuO-ZnO nanostructured composite thin films sprayed on particle-free glass substrates using chemical spray pyrolysis method. The films were systematically analyzed through microstructural, morphological, chemical, and gas-sensing studies. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the polycrystalline nature of the films, with a predominant monoclinic phase along the (002) direction.

A simple and cost-effective hybrid stationary phase for the separation of peptides, proteins and benzene derivatives through liquid chromatography.

A very simple and cost-effective silica-based hybrid stationary phase was synthesized for the separation of five synthetic peptides, five proteins, and benzene derivatives. Silica monolith was synthesized sol-gel process. Particles obtained through the grinding of silica monolith were suspended in methanol and sedimented under gravity to obtain sub-2 μm particles.

Anti-ovarian cancer migration and toxicity characteristics of a platinum(IV) pro-drug with axial HDAC inhibitor ligands in zebrafish models.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer related death in the United States. Cisplatin is a platinum-based anti-cancer drug used against ovarian cancer that enters malignant cells and then damages DNA causing cell death. Typically, ovarian cancer cells become resistant to cisplatin making it necessary to increase subsequent dosage, which usually leads to side-effects including irreversible damage to kidney and auditory system tissue.

Management implications of latent TB among under-five children at risk: Insights from a community study in Mumbai, India.

Background: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) management is crucial to WHO's End TB Strategy. Indian guidelines recommend treating under-five children with household TB contacts after ruling out active TB, regardless of TBI testing. However, the precise LTBI burden among children in high TB burden settings like India is unknown.