The cost-effectiveness of a cash-based transfer, specialised nutritious food, and social and behaviour change communication intervention package to prevent undernutrition among children 6-23 months in Pakistan: A cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is mixed evidence on the cost-effectiveness of cash transfers, along with food supplements and behaviour change communication interventions in improving child nutrition outcomes. To add to existing literature, we examined the cost-effectiveness of medium-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) and social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) messaging, separately and combined, compared to an existing unconditional cash transfers (UCT) programme in children 6-23 months of age in the district Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan.

Methods: This was a four-arm, community-based cluster randomised controlled trial.

The Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot: A Comprehensive Dataset for the Mira-Mataje Binational Basins.

We present a flora and fauna dataset for the Mira-Mataje binational basins. This is an area shared between southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, where both the Chocó and Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspots converge. We systematized data from 120 sources in the Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) standard and geospatial vector data format for geographic information systems (GIS) (shapefiles).

Demographic and Psychiatric Associations With Dry Eye in a Medicare Population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidity on the prevalence of dry eye disease in the American geriatric population.

Methods: Data were collected from a 2011 nationwide sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older (N = 1,321,000). Age, sex, race/ethnicity, residential area, climate region, and income, along with psychiatric comorbidities including depression and anxiety, were collected.

Effectiveness of locally produced ready-to-use supplementary foods on the prevention of stunting in children aged 6-23 months: a community-based trial from Pakistan.

Undernutrition is a major public health problem in developing countries. Around 40·2 % of children are stunted in Pakistan. This longitudinal study aimed to assess the effectiveness of locally produced ready-to-use supplementary foods in the prevention of stunting by detecting change in of children in intervention .

Resistance mechanism to fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors in cholangiocarcinoma.

Precision medicine is a major achievement that has impacted on management of patients diagnosed with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) over the last decade. Molecular profiling of CCA has identified targetable alterations, such as fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR-2) fusions, and has thus led to the development of a wide spectrum of compounds. Despite favourable response rates, especially with the latest generation FGFRi, there are still a proportion of patients who will not achieve a radiological response to treatment, or who will have disease progression as the best response.

An Analytic Equation for Assessing the Thickness of Titanium Nitride Coatings by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy in the Scanning Electron Microscope.

In this study, a methodology for assessing the thickness of titanium nitride (TiN) coatings by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in the scanning electron microscope is explored. A standardless method is applied, where the film thickness (th) is related to the microscope accelerating voltage (V0), the type of substrate and the ratio between the more intense peaks in the EDS spectrum, arising from both the substrate and the coating (afterwards called the I-ratio, IR). Three different substrates covered with TiN were studied, namely, silicon, glass, and stainless steel.

Effectiveness of locally produced ready to use supplementary food on hemoglobin, anthropometrics, and plasma micronutrients concentrations of 6 to 23 months age children: a non-randomized community-based trial from Pakistan.

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies including vitamin A, vitamin D, and zinc are highly prevalent in children below 5 years of age in low and -middle-income countries. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ready-to-use Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement-Medium Quantity (LNS-MQ) local name "Wawa-mum" on plasma micronutrient status, hemoglobin concentration and anthropometric measurements.

Methods: A community-based non-randomized trial was conducted in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from January 2018 to June 2019.

Infrasound tones at sensation threshold level elicit measurable Frequency-Following responses.

Even barely detectable levels of infrasound are often reported to cause annoyance and complaints. We carefully measured the individual sensation threshold of a pure tone and recorded immediately after the brain's frequency-following response (FFR) at this intensity using the same stimulator. In contrast to 87-Hz tones, 8-Hz tones elicit an FFR already at sensation threshold.

Effectiveness of nutritional supplementation during the first 1000-days of life to reduce child undernutrition: A cluster randomized controlled trial in Pakistan.

Background: Childhood stunting can start in the womb and continue for two years. Therefore, the first 1000 days of life between a woman's pregnancy and her child's 2nd birthday offer a unique window of opportunity to build healthier and more prosperous futures. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation during the first 1000-days to reduce the prevalence of stunting in children at 24 months of age.

Long-Term Impact of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation on Micronutrient Status, Hemoglobin Level, and Growth in Children 24 to 59 Months of Age: A Non-Randomized Community-Based Trial from Pakistan.

Cost-effective interventions are needed to address undernutrition, particularly micronutrient deficiencies, which are common in children under the age of five in low- and middle-income countries. A community-based, non-randomized clinical trial was undertaken in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from January 2018 to June 2019, to evaluate the effect of locally produced micronutrient powder (local name: Vita-Mixe) on plasma micronutrient status, hemoglobin level, and anthropometric outcomes. Children aged 24-48 months old were recruited and allocated to the intervention and control arm of the study.

The Impact of Neighborhood Factors on Physical Activity in Older Adults With Visual Impairment.

Purpose: To investigate the associations of neighborhood-level socioeconomic and environmental characteristics with physical activity in persons with glaucoma.

Design: Cross-sectional study (N = 230).

Methods: Home addresses were used to extract neighborhood factors (NFs): Area Deprivation Index, crime rate, and the proportion of racial and ethnic minorities, poverty, college graduates, and park area in their census tract.

Identification and Characterization of , , and Species Present in Floricultural Crops from Long Island, New York.

Several , , and species cause Pythium diseases in greenhouse floricultural crops, resulting in significant seasonal losses. Four hundred and eighteen , , and isolates from flowering crops, growing media, or bench and floor debris were collected from Long Island greenhouses or clinic samples between 2002 and 2013. Isolates were identified to species based on morphology and internal transcribed spacer barcoding.

A Step Towards Validation of High-Throughput Sequencing for the Identification of Plant Pathogenic Oomycetes.

The advancement in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology allows the detection of pathogens without the need for isolation or template amplification. Plant regulatory agencies worldwide are adopting HTS as a prescreening tool for plant pathogens in imported plant germplasm. The technique is a multipronged process and, often, the bioinformatic analysis complicates detection.

Evaluation of away-from-home excursion patterns after falling among individuals with glaucoma: a longitudinal study.

Background: Unintentional falls among older adults are associated with an ensuing decline in physical activity. Our objective is to evaluate the associations between fall status and changes in excursions after a fall.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of older adults with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma who reported falls for 1 year and wore a GPS device for 1-week at the baseline and 1 year later.

Efficacy of Sound Therapy for Tinnitus Using an Enriched Acoustic Environment with Hearing-Loss Matched Broadband Noise.

Background: Tinnitus is a rather heterogeneous chronic condition/disorder which is difficult to treat. Some tinnitus treatments combine sound therapy with counselling. The main goal of this study is to report the efficacy of a customized sound therapy combined with counselling on a cohort of 83 tinnitus patients.

Accuracy of a reference-free Monte Carlo approach for SEM-EDS thickness assessment of TiN coatings onto diverse substrates.

Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) experiments were carried out in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) on top of either stainless steel (SS), silicon or glass substrates covered with TiN nitride coatings. The nominal coating thicknesses were 0.43, 1.

Effect of Nudges on Downloads of COVID-19 Exposure Notification Apps: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This randomized clinical trial examines the effect of digital contact tracing using smartphone app nudges to increase downloads of Pennsylvania’s COVID Alert PA app.

Effectiveness of unconditional cash transfers combined with lipid-based nutrient supplement and/or behavior change communication to prevent stunting among children in Pakistan: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: In Pakistan, the prevalence of stunting among children younger than 5 y has remained above WHO critical thresholds (≥30%) over the past 2 decades.

Objectives: We hypothesized that an unconditional cash transfer (UCT) combined with lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) and/or social and behavior change communication (SBCC) will prevent stunting among children 6-23 mo of age.

Methods: This was a 4-arm, community-based cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in the district of Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan.

Longitudinal changes in daily patterns of objectively measured physical activity after falls in older adults with varying degrees of glaucoma.

Background: Visually impaired older adults have a greater risk of falling, making them particularly susceptible to fall-related health consequences and restricted physical activity. Unclear however, is the relationship between having falls and longitudinal changes in daily patterns of objectively measured physical activity in older adults with visual impairments.

Methods: We created a three-year prospective cohort study (Falls in Glaucoma Study) of older adults with primary or suspected glaucoma at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute from 2013 to 2015.

Effectiveness of Specialized Nutritious Foods and Social and Behavior Change Communication Interventions to Prevent Stunting among Children in Badakhshan, Afghanistan: Protocol for a Quasi-Experimental Study.

Stunting predominantly occurs during the first 1000 days of life and continues to the age of five years. We will aim to assess the effectiveness of specialized nutritious foods (SNF)and social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategies during the first 1000 days of life to prevent stunting among children in two rural districts of Badakhshan, Afghanistan. This will be a quasi-experimental pre-post study with the control group utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods.

Association Between Visual Field Damage and Gait Dysfunction in Patients With Glaucoma.

Importance: Gait dysfunction is common in older people with visual impairment and is a major cause of falls.

Objective: To compare 3-year longitudinal changes in gait measures across the spectrum of baseline visual field (VF) damage in glaucoma.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A post hoc analysis was designed on September 1, 2018, following a prospective cohort study, which enrolled older adults with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma from September 2013 to March 2015 and followed up for up to 3 years.

Importance and Severity Dependence of Physical Activity by GPS-Tracked Location in Glaucoma Patients.

Purpose: To quantify the association of visual field (VF) damage on physical activity away-from-home, per away-from-home excursion, and at-home.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: Among 229 participants with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma, the severity of VF damage was defined as average sensitivity within the integrated VF (IVF).

Effect of lipid-based nutrient supplement-Medium quantity on reduction of stunting in children 6-23 months of age in Sindh, Pakistan: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic childhood malnutrition, or stunting, remains a persistent barrier to achieve optimal cognitive development, child growth and ability to reach full potential. Almost half of children under-five years of age are stunted in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the provision of lipid-based nutrient supplement-medium-quantity (LNS-MQ) known as Wawamum will result in a 10% reduction in risk of being stunted at the age of 24 months in the intervention group compared with the control group.