Digital Transition by COVID-19 Pandemic? The German Food Online Retail.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in online trade. This article examines the impact of the pandemic on online grocery retail in Germany. Here we follow and refine the multi-level perspective by Geels, and examine to what extent and why the online grocery retail expanded during the pandemic.

Severe maternal morbidity (near-miss) and its correlates in the world's newest nation: South Sudan.

Background: This study investigates the frequency of near-miss events and compares correlates in the world's newest nation.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to audit near-miss events and their causes. A total of 1,041 mothers were sampled.

Mobile clinics for antiretroviral therapy in rural Mozambique.

Problem: Despite seven years of investment from the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the expansion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related services continues to challenge Mozambique's health-care infrastructure, especially in the country's rural regions.

Approach: In 2012, as part of a national acceleration plan for HIV care and treatment, Namacurra district employed a mobile clinic strategy to provide temporary manpower and physical space to expand services at four rural peripheral clinics. This paper describes the strategy deployed, the uptake of services and the key lessons learnt in the first 18 months of implementation.

Ex vivo characterization of carotid plaques by intravascular ultrasonography and virtual histology: concordance with real plaque pathomorphology.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of carotid plaque characterisation by virtual histology using intravascular ultrasonography (VH-IVUS) by comparing the results with real morphology.

Methods: Following elective carotid endarterectomy (CEA), atherosclerotic plaques from 36 patients (19 asymptomatic, 17 symptomatic) underwent ex-vivo VH-IVUS examination. Afterwards, tissue specimens were fixed with formalin and embedded in paraffin.