PhIP-Seq: methods, applications and challenges.

Phage-immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq) technology is an innovative, high-throughput antibody detection method. It enables comprehensive analysis of individual antibody profiles. This technology shows great potential, particularly in exploring disease mechanisms and immune responses.

Serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in early pregnancy and changes during the pregnancy.

Renal functions in pregnancy undergo rapid changes, and the thresholds for normal values are a major research gap and are still debatable. The lack of prospective population-based studies with early pregnancy recruitment hampered the decision-making process on the best thresholds to be used in clinical practice. We present the serum creatinine (sCr) and sCr-based estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) in early pregnancy with changes over the gestational period in a large prospective, community-based cohort, the Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort (RaPCo).

Social determinants of health pave the path to maternal deaths in rural Sri Lanka: reflections from social autopsies.

Background: Ending preventable maternal deaths remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Society perceived causes and real-life observations can reveal the intangible causes of maternal deaths irrespective of formal maternal death investigations. This study reports complex patterns in which social determinants act towards paving the path to maternal deaths in a rural Sri Lankan setting.

The magnitude of out-of-pocket expenditure for antenatal care in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Owing to the lack of compiled global evidence on out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for antenatal care (ANC), this systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the magnitude of OOPE for ANC in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: An electronic search was conducted using 10 databases and a hand search of the eligible studies' reference lists. Studies on OOPE for ANC in LMICs, published in English without time restriction, were included.

Thriving or Simply Surviving? A Qualitative Exploration of STEM Community College Students' Transition to a Four-Year University.

Community colleges expand access to higher education and play a key role in efforts to increase and diversify the future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. While community colleges increase access to higher education and millions of students attend them for some portion of their education, the experiences of transfer students remain relatively understudied. Transferring during an academic journey can compound the barriers that students already face when pursuing a STEM degree.

Economic burden of out-of-pocket expenditure, productivity cost during pregnancy and COVID-19 impact on household economy in a cohort of pregnant women in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka; A study protocol.

Investigating the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) associated with maternal health is important since OOPE directly affects the affordability of health services. Global evidence suggests the importance of capturing the productivity cost during pregnancy in terms of absenteeism and presenteeism. Furthermore, the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the household economy needs to be further evaluated as pregnant women are one of the most vulnerable groups.

Protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis: magnitude, reasons, associated factors, and implications of the out-of-pocket expenditure during pregnancy.

Objectives: Health-related out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) impedes utilization for maternal health care. We aim to systematically review the magnitude, reasons, associated factors, and implications of OOPE during pregnancy.

Study Design: The study design is a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

How costly is the first prenatal clinic visit? Analysis of out-of-pocket expenditure in rural Sri Lanka - a country with free maternal health care.

Background: This study aimed to determine the magnitude of and factors associated with out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) during the first prenatal clinic visit among pregnant women in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka, which provides free maternal healthcare.

Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional study, and the study setting was 22 Medical Officers of Health (MOOH) areas in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. Data of 1389 pregnant women were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests.

Novel non-invasive in-house fabricated wearable system with a hybrid algorithm for fetal movement recognition.

Fetal movement count monitoring is one of the most commonly used methods of assessing fetal well-being. While few methods are available to monitor fetal movements, they consist of several adverse qualities such as unreliability as well as the inability to be conducted in a non-clinical setting. Therefore, this research was conducted to design a complete system that will enable pregnant mothers to monitor fetal movement at home.

The hidden burden of adolescent pregnancies in rural Sri Lanka; findings of the Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort.

Background: Adolescent fertility is a main indicator of the Sustainable Developmental Goal (SGD) three. Although Sri Lanka is exemplary in maternal health, the utilization of Sexual and Reproductive Health services (SRH) by adolescents is less documented. We describe the hidden burden, associated biological and psychosocial factors and utilization patterns of pre-conceptional services among pregnant adolescents in rural Sri Lanka.

Development of a robust, field-deployable loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for specific detection of potato pathogen Dickeya dianthicola targeting a unique genomic region.

Destructive maceration, a wide host range, and longevity in non-plant substrates has established Dickeya dianthicola (blackleg of potato) as a significant threat to potato industries worldwide. To protect these businesses, a specific and sensitive point-of-care D. dianthicola detection tool is necessary.