Community Clustering of Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Associated With Systemic Drivers in Chad.

Background: Chad suffers from protracted hunger, facing high food insecurity (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification 3 and above), and acute malnutrition levels that surpass the emergency threshold (15% global acute malnutrition) yearly. The Food Security Sector, with European Union support, leads an inclusive effort to increase synergy between humanitarian, development, and peace-building actors to understand and address drivers of hunger.

Objective: To understand the spatial distribution of child wasting and household food insecurity and systemic drivers (conflict, livelihoods, vegetation, cultural norms) as well as better understand the relationship between child wasting and household food insecurity in Kanem and Bahr el Ghazal (BeG) region, Chad, with the goal of improving nexus programming and targeting.

The Livestock for Health Study: A Field Trial on Livestock Interventions to Prevent Acute Malnutrition Among Women and Children in Pastoralist Communities in Northern Kenya.

Background: Livestock-dependent communities in Africa's drylands disproportionately experience acute malnutrition, especially during drought seasons. We detail the design and implementation of the Livestock for Health (L4H) study aimed at determining the effect of providing livestock feed and nutritional counselling to prevent seasonal spikes of acute malnutrition.

Methods: The L4H study employed a 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial to compare households in pastoralist settings in northern Kenya receiving livestock feeds during critical dry periods, with or without nutritional counseling, with control households.

A Relational Approach to the Drivers of Child Acute Malnutrition.

Background: This article presents a new analytical approach to acute malnutrition causal analysis that is different from the orthodox approach in 2 respects. First, it engages with basic causes, that is, beyond the usual focus on individuals and households. Second, it uses a view in the causal analysis.

Controlling bacterial biofilm formation by native and methylated lupine 11S globulins.

The antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of the 11S globulins isolated from lupin seeds (), and its methylated derivative (M11S), were investigated against seven pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The MIC of 11S ranged from 0.1 to 4.

FAK Drives Resistance to Therapy in HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer in a p53-Dependent Manner.

Purpose: Radiation and platinum-based chemotherapy form the backbone of therapy in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We have correlated focal adhesion kinase (FAK/PTK2) expression with radioresistance and worse outcomes in these patients. However, the importance of FAK in driving radioresistance and its effects on chemoresistance in these patients remains unclear.

Effect of zinc oxide surface treatment concentration and nanofiller loading on the flexural properties of unsaturated polyester/kenaf nanocomposites.

Due to environmental concerns and budgetary constraints associated with synthetic fibers, natural fibers (NFr) are becoming increasingly popular as reinforcement in polymer composites (PCs) for structural components and construction materials. The surface treatment (ST) method is a well-established technique for enhancing the strength of interfacial bonding between NFr and the polymer matrix (PM). As a result, this research aims to determine the effect of ST with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the flexural properties of unsaturated polyester (UPE)/kenaf fiber (KF) nanocomposites.

Vascular Interventions in Oncology.

Vascular interventions are an important and established tool in the management of the oncology patient. The goal of these procedures may be curative, palliative or adjunctive in nature. Some of the common vascular interventions used in oncology include transarterial embolisation or chemoembolisation, selective internal radiation therapy, chemosaturation, venous access lines, superior vena cava stenting and portal vein embolisation.

Progress and experiences of implementing an integrated disease surveillance and response system in Somalia; 2016-2023.

Introduction: In 2021, a regional strategy for integrated disease surveillance was adopted by member states of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region. But before then, member states including Somalia had made progress in integration of their disease surveillance systems. We report on the progress and experiences of implementing an integrated disease surveillance and response system in Somalia between 2016 and 2023.

Dermatomyositis Flare-Up Following the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Dermatomyositis is a rare auto-immune inflammatory myopathy of unknown etiology. Several environmental factors, including vaccines, have been identified as potential triggers in genetically susceptible individuals. Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the development of vaccines (mRNA and vector-based) has been the most effective tool in reducing the incidence, hospitalization rates, and mortality of COVID-19.

Piloting Safety and Stabilization: A Multi-component Trauma Intervention to Improve HIV Viral Suppression, Retention in Care, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in a Southern United States HIV Service Organization.

In this observational study, we assessed the extent to which a community-created pilot intervention, providing trauma-informed care for persons with HIV (PWH), affected HIV care retention and viral suppression among PWH attending an HIV Services Organization in the Southern US. PWH with trauma exposure and/or trauma symptoms (N = 166) were offered a screening and referral to treatment (SBIRT) session. Per self-selection, 30 opted-out, 29 received SBIRT-Only, 25 received SBIRT-only but reported receiving other behavioral health care elsewhere, and 82 participated in the Safety and Stabilization (S&S) Intervention.

Effects of sex, age, and body mass index on serum bicarbonate.

Rationale: Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is often underdiagnosed, with significant morbidity and mortality. Bicarbonate, as a surrogate of arterial carbon dioxide, has been proposed as a screening tool for OHS. Understanding the predictors of serum bicarbonate could provide insights into risk factors for OHS.

Antimalarial stocking decisions among medicine retailers in Ghana: implications for quality management and control of malaria.

Global health efforts such as malarial control require efficient pharmaceutical supply chains to ensure effective delivery of quality-assured medicines to those who need them. However, very little is currently known about decision-making processes within antimalarial supply chains and potential vulnerabilities to substandard and falsified medicines. Addressing this gap, we report on a study that investigated decision-making around the stocking of antimalarial products among private-sector medicine retailers in Ghana.

Global outlook of the multiplier effect of research and development on environmental sustainability.

In a time of severe environmental problems and growing public and private expenditure to promote a sustainable society, studies on the impact of Research and Development (R&D) on environmental sustainability hardly ever exist. This study looked at how R&D promotes the attainment of environmentally sustainable goals, globally. Data at the country level was compiled from the United Nations-Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG) database and the World Bank, then processed and analysed using spatial techniques such as spatial merge, autofill, autocorrelation, and geographic weighted regression.

Crystal structure of the GDSL family esterase EstL5 in complex with PMSF reveals a branch channel of the active site pocket.

Esterases/lipases from the GDSL family have potential applications in the hydrolysis and synthesis of important esters of pharmaceutical, food, and biotechnical interests. However, the structural and functional understanding of GDSL enzymes is still limited. Here, we report the crystal structure of the GDSL family esterase EstL5 complexed with PMSF at 2.

"Embracing the Inner Strength and Staying Strong": Exploring Self-Care Preparedness among Nurses for Enhancing Their Psychological Well-Being against the Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic in Brunei Darussalam.

During three years of the unprecedented, massive COVID-19 pandemic that affected the world, nurse front liners faced substantial challenges and experienced long-term adverse mental health. This study explored psychological self-care practices undertaken by nurses to strengthen their mental health and develop resilience in their professional care role while addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 era. A qualitative descriptive exploratory study was conducted on 40 nurses who worked in providing COVID-19 care across Brunei using focus groups aided by semi-structured open-ended questions.

Spent tea waste extract as a green modifying agent of chitosan for aspirin adsorption: Fixed-bed column, modeling and toxicity studies.

Aspirin is a prevalent over-the-counter medicine that has been categorized as an emerging contaminant due to its danger to both living things and the environment. This work presents chitosan modified with spent tea waste extract (STWE) via the wet impregnation method as an adsorbent for the enhanced removal of aspirin in a fixed-bed column. The adsorbent (named chitosan-STWE) was successfully synthesized and exhibited a low crystallinity structure, good stability against thermal and acidic conditions, as depicted by HNMR, XRD, TGA, and the dissolution rate of the adsorbent.

Assessment of drug-susceptible and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the Central Region of Somalia: A 3-year retrospective study.

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a public health emergency and a threat globally. Although increasing MDR-TB cases have been recently reported in Somalia, limited information is known. This study aims to determine the prevalence of drug-susceptible and MDR-TB in suspected patients referred to the TB Department in Mudug Hospital, Galkayo, Somalia, and identify potential factors associated with MDR-TB.

Effect of intrauterine infusion of autologous platelet-rich plasma in patients with refractory thin endometrium undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Introduction: Treatment of refractory thin endometrium during IVF is a relatively challenging problem, considering that optimal endometrium thickness is one of the critical factors for successful implantation and pregnancy. Autologous intrauterine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) infusion is an adjuvant therapeutic alternative for enhancing the endometrial thickness (EMT) and echo pattern. It was shown that PRP could expand EMT and improve pregnancy outcomes with its high content of growth factors and cytokines, and its role in the regulation of the immunological interaction between the embryo and the endometrium.

Acetate supplementation rescues social deficits and alters transcriptional regulation in prefrontal cortex of Shank3 deficient mice.

Background: The pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves genetic and environmental factors. Mounting evidence demonstrates a role for the gut microbiome in ASD, with signaling via short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) as one mechanism. Here, we utilize mice carrying deletion to exons 4-22 of Shank3 (Shank3) to model gene by microbiome interactions in ASD.