Characterisation of environmental enteropathy biomarkers and associated risk factors in children in the context of a WASH trial in Timor-Leste.

Environmental enteropathy (EE) is characterised by subclinical inflammation and hyperpermeability of the small intestine, hypothesised to be caused by recurrent ingestion of faecal bacteria. It has been suggested that EE may be a contributor to malnutrition and growth delays seen in children living in unsanitary conditions. We measured putative faecal EE markers myeloperoxidase (MPO) (ng/mL) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) (mg/g) in stool samples collected from 133 children aged 1-5 years in 16 communities enrolled in the WASH for WORMS randomised controlled trial in Timor-Leste.

An investigation into the Omp85 protein BamK in hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, and its role in outer membrane biogenesis.

Members of the Omp85 protein superfamily have important roles in Gram-negative bacteria, with the archetypal protein BamA being ubiquitous given its essential function in the assembly of outer membrane proteins. In some bacterial lineages, additional members of the family exist and, in most of these cases, the function of the protein is unknown. We detected one of these Omp85 proteins in the pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055, and refer to the protein as BamK.

Reducing length of stay to improve Clostridium difficile-related health outcomes.

Background: Clostridium difficile infection is a serious hospital-acquired infection, causing negative outcomes for those who are afflicted by it. Hospital length of stay is known to be a risk factor for transmission and significant reductions in infection numbers can be realised if transmission is reduced.

Methods: A Markov model was constructed to compare the impact that five alternative healthcare scenarios had on total C.

Comparison of the validity of smear and culture conversion as a prognostic marker of treatment outcome in patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has conditionally recommended the use of sputum smear microscopy and culture examination for the monitoring of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment. We aimed to assess and compare the validity of smear and culture conversion at different time points during treatment for MDR-TB, as a prognostic marker for end-of-treatment outcomes.

Methods: We undertook a retrospective observational cohort study using data obtained from Hunan Chest Hospital, China and Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia.

Efficacy of Anthelminthic Drugs and Drug Combinations Against Soil-transmitted Helminths: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

Background: Periodic mass distribution of benzimidazole anthelminthic drugs is the key strategy to control soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) globally. However, benzimidazoles have low efficacy against Trichuris trichiura, and there are concerns about benzimidazole resistance potentially emerging in humans. Therefore, identifying alternative drug regimens is a pressing priority.

Spatial prediction of the risk of exposure to Echinococcus spp. among schoolchildren and dogs in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.

The geographical distribution of Echinococcus spp. infections in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR) has been reported to be expanding in response to environmental change. The aim of the present study was to predict and compare the spatial distribution of human seropositivity for Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis and infections with these parasites in dogs in four counties in the south of NHAR to identify communities where targeted prevention and control efforts are required.

Controversies over the scientific name of the principal mosquito vector of yellow fever virus - expediency versus validity.

The history of the scientific name of the yellow fever mosquito, the vector of yellow fever virus, ranges from 1757 to the early twenty-first century. In his 1757 work Iter Palaestinum, Frederic Hasselquist gave the name Culex aegypti to a mosquito species responsible for fierce attacks on humans in Egypt. That name was never later ascribed to Hasselquist as author, but to Linnaeus, although the name never appeared in any of Linnaeus' publications.

(S)WASH-D for Worms: A pilot study investigating the differential impact of school- versus community-based integrated control programs for soil-transmitted helminths.

Background: Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect nearly 1.5 billion individuals globally, and contribute to poor physical and cognitive development in children. STH control programs typically consist of regular delivery of anthelminthic drugs, targeting school-aged children.

Spatio-temporal analysis of the relationship between meteorological factors and hand-foot-mouth disease in Beijing, China.

Background: Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease in China and occurs mostly in infants and children. Beijing is a densely populated megacity, in which HFMD has been increasing in the last decade. The aim of this study was to quantify spatio-temporal characteristics of HFMD and the relationship between meteorological factors and HFMD incidence in Beijing, China.

Comparative effectiveness of malaria prevention measures: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Malaria causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. There are several preventive measures that are currently employed, including insecticide-treated nets (ITNs, including long-lasting insecticidal nets and insecticidal-treated bed nets), indoor residual spraying (IRS), prophylactic drugs (PD), and untreated nets (UN). However, it is unclear which measure is the most effective for malaria prevention.

A persistent mass: A case of aggressive Angiomyxoma of the vulva.

We present a case of aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva. The patient presented with a persistent, enlarging vulvar mass, initially misdiagnosed as a Bartholin gland cyst. The patient underwent wide local excision, which resulted in total resection of the mass.

Environmental risk factors and changing spatial patterns of human seropositivity for Echinococcus spp. in Xiji County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.

Background: Human echinococcoses are parasitic helminth infections that constitute a serious public health concern in several regions across the world. Cystic (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in China represent a high proportion of the total global burden of these infections. This study was conducted to predict the spatial distribution of human seropositivity for Echinococcus species in Xiji County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), with the aim of identifying communities where targeted prevention and control efforts are required.

Neglected Tropical Disease Control - The Case for Adaptive, Location-specific Solutions.

The world is experiencing environmental and social change at an unprecedented rate, with the effects being felt at local, regional, and international scales. This phenomenon may disrupt interventions against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that operate on the basis of linear scaling and 'one-size-fits-all'. Here we argue that investment in field-based data collection and building modelling capacity is required; that it is important to consider unintended consequences of interventions; that inferences can be drawn from wildlife ecology; and that interventions should become more location-specific.

Using Illness Rating Systems to Predict Discharge Location Following Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Purpose: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is increasing in frequency and cost. Optimization of discharge location may reduce total expenditure while maximizing patient outcomes. Although preoperative illness rating systems-including the American Society for Anesthesiologists Physical Classification System (ASA), severity of illness scoring system (SOI), and Mallampati rating scale (MP)-are associated with patient morbidity and mortality, their predictive value for discharge location, length of stay (LOS), and total costs remains unclear.

Shigella sonnei Does Not Use Amoebae as Protective Hosts.

and bacteria cause the majority of all shigellosis cases worldwide. However, their distributions differ, with predominating in middle- and high-income countries and predominating in low-income countries. One proposed explanation for the continued range expansion of is that it can survive in amoebae, which could provide a protective environment for the bacteria.

Spatiotemporal patterns and environmental drivers of human echinococcoses over a twenty-year period in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.

Background: Human cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) echinococcoses are zoonotic parasitic diseases that can be influenced by environmental variability and change through effects on the parasites, animal intermediate and definitive hosts, and human populations. We aimed to assess and quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of human echinococcoses in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), China between January 1994 and December 2013, and examine associations between these infections and indicators of environmental variability and change, including large-scale landscape regeneration undertaken by the Chinese authorities.

Methods: Data on the number of human echinococcosis cases were obtained from a hospital-based retrospective survey conducted in NHAR for the period 1 January 1994 through 31 December 2013.

Sequelae of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The sequelae of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are poorly understood and inconsistently reported. We will aim to assess the existing evidence for the clinical, psychological, social and economic sequelae of MDR-TB and to assess the health-related quality of life in patients with MDR-TB.

Methods And Analysis: We will perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies reporting sequelae of MDR-TB.

The Application of NHEJ-CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre-Lox System in the Generation of Bivalent Duck Enteritis Virus Vaccine against Avian Influenza Virus.

Duck-targeted vaccines to protect against avian influenza are critically needed to aid in influenza disease control efforts in regions where ducks are endemic for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Duck enteritis virus (DEV) is a promising candidate viral vector for development of vaccines targeting ducks, owing to its large genome and narrow host range. The clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system is a versatile gene-editing tool that has proven beneficial for gene modification and construction of recombinant DNA viral vectored vaccines.

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of water ice porosity: extrapolations of deposition parameters from the laboratory to interstellar space.

Dust grains in cold, dense interstellar clouds build up appreciable ice mantles through the accretion and subsequent surface chemistry of atoms and molecules from the gas. These mantles, of thicknesses on the order of 100 monolayers, are primarily composed of HO, CO, and CO. Laboratory experiments using interstellar ice analogues have shown that porosity could be present and can facilitate diffusion of molecules along the inner pore surfaces.

Case Report of Metronidazole-Induced Encephalopathy.

This report describes the case of an 83-year-old woman who was admitted to a hospitalist service with weakness and falls. She was transferred from an outside facility where she was treated with 3 courses of metronidazole for diagnosed Clostridium difficile colitis and presumed reoccurrences. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated T2 enhancement of the dorsal pons and dentate nuclei consistent with metronidazole-induced encephalopathy.

Spatial and temporal patterns of dengue infections in Timor-Leste, 2005-2013.

Background: Dengue remains an important public health problem in Timor-Leste, with several major epidemics occurring over the last 10 years. The aim of this study was to identify dengue clusters at high geographical resolution and to determine the association between local environmental characteristics and the distribution and transmission of the disease.

Methods: Notifications of dengue cases that occurred from January 2005 to December 2013 were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste.

Economic evaluation of interventions designed to reduce Clostridium difficile infection.

Introduction: Healthcare decision-makers are increasingly expected to balance increasing demand for health services with a finite budget. The role of economic evaluation in healthcare is increasing and this research provides decision-makers with new information about the management of Clostridium difficile infection, from an economic perspective.

Methods: A model-based economic evaluation was undertaken to identify the most cost-effective healthcare intervention relating to the reduction of Clostridium difficile transmission.

Effects of supplementing methionine hydroxy analog on beef cow performance, milk production, reproduction, and preweaning calf performance.

Mature Simmental × Angus cows (214 cows; 635 ± 7 kg) were utilized to determine the effects of late gestation and early postpartum supplementation of methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) on cow BW, BCS, milk production, milk composition, reproduction, and calf performance until weaning in a fall-calving, cool-season grazing system. Cows were stratified by BW, age, AI sire, and assigned to 1 of 12 pastures (17 or 18 cows·pasture). Pastures were randomly allotted to 1 of 2 treatments: control (0.

Major inpatient surgeries and in-hospital mortality in New South Wales public hospitals in Australia: A state-wide retrospective cohort study.

Background: Surgical interventions save lives and are important focus for health services research worldwide. Investigating variation in postoperative mortality may improve understanding of unwarranted variations and promote safety and quality in surgical care. We aimed to evaluate trends of in-hospital mortality rates among adult inpatients receiving major elective surgeries and determine the variation in mortality among New South Wales (NSW) public hospitals.

Clostridium difficile classification overestimates hospital-acquired infections.

Background: Clostridium difficile infections occur frequently among hospitalized patients, with some infections acquired in hospital and others in the community. International guidelines classify cases as hospital-acquired if symptom onset occurs more than two days after admission. This classification informs surveillance and infection control, but has not been verified by empirical or modelling studies.