Effect of a novel house (Star home) and toilet design on domestic fly densities in rural Tanzania.

Background: Diarrhoeal disease is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years old with domestic flies acting as important mechanical vectors of diarrhoeal pathogens. To assess the effectiveness of a novel house design, "Star home", and improved toilets in reducing the abundance of domestic flies, potential carriers of diarrhoeal pathogens, a randomized controlled trial was carried out in rural Tanzania.

Methods: Domestic fly populations were monitored in 28 randomly selected Star homes and 28 traditional thatched roofs and mud-walled houses over 2 years from January 2022 to December 2023.

Apolipoprotein A-IV is induced by high-fat diets and mediates positive effects on glucose and lipid metabolism.

Objective: Low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets under eucaloric conditions are associated with several health-beneficial metabolic effects in humans, particularly in the liver. We recently observed that apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV), a highly abundant apolipoprotein, was among the most upregulated proteins in circulation after six weeks of consuming a high-fat diet in humans. However, the impact of dietary changes in regulating apoA-IV, and the potential effects of apoA-IV on regulation of glucose- and lipid metabolism remain to be fully established.

Resolving active species during the carbon monoxide oxidation over Pt(111) on the microsecond timescale.

Catalytic studies traditionally rely on steady-state conditions resulting in time-averaged datasets that do not differentiate between active and spectator species. This limitation can cause misinterpretations of catalytic function, as the signal of short-lived intermediates responsible for producing desired reaction products is often masked by more intense spectator species. Time-resolved ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (tr-APXPS) mitigates this issue by combining microsecond time resolution under reaction conditions.

Minimum inhibitory concentration distribution of Mecillinam in clinical Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolates from Europe.

Objectives: Staphylococcus saprophyticus (S. saprophyticus) is the second most common bacteria causing uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). It is considered non-susceptible to mecillinam, with no defined breakpoint and only few available minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) observations.

Community responses to a novel house design: A qualitative study of "Star Homes" in Mtwara, southeastern Tanzania.

Introduction: To evaluate the impact of a novel design "Star Home" on the incidence of malaria, respiratory tract infections and diarrheal diseases among children, randomly selected households in Mtwara, Tanzania were offered a free, new Star Home. Drawing on longitudinal qualitative research that accompanied the Star Homes study, this article describes the experiences of residents and the wider community of living with these buildings.

Methods: A total of four rounds of face-to-face interviews were undertaken with residents of Star Homes (n = 37), control (wattle/daub) homes (n = 21), neighboring households n = 6), community members (n = 17) and community leaders (n = 6).