Association of Opioid Use Disorder-Related Service Trajectories during Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Service Use: A Group-Based Multitrajectory Modeling Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between opioid use disorder (OUD)-related service trajectories during pregnancy and postpartum emergency department (ED) and hospitalizations.

Methods: We used the Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (2013-2021) to identify a cohort of pregnant individuals with OUD. We used group-based multitrajectory modeling to identify opioid-related treatment and service trajectories during pregnancy and examined their association with postpartum ED and hospital utilization.

Comparative effectiveness of buprenorphine adherence with telemedicine Vs. in-person for rural and urban patients.

Background: Policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed buprenorphine to be prescribed for opioid use disorder via telemedicine without an in-person visit. A recently proposed change will limit buprenorphine access to 30 days without an in-person visit. Given that people living in rural areas may be disproportionally impacted by this change, we sought to better understand how buprenorphine adherence may be impacted by requiring in-person visits.

Coordination of care reduces conflict and predation risk in a cooperatively breeding bird.

When two or more individuals cooperate to provision a shared brood, each carer may be able to maximize their payoffs by coordinating provisioning in relation to what others are doing. This investment "game" is not simply a matter of how much to invest but also of the relative timing of investment. Recent studies propose that temporal coordination of care in the forms of alternation (i.

Plastic Behaviour Buffers Climate Variability in the Wandering Albatross.

Climate change has marked effects on global weather patterns and oceanic systems, impacting animal behaviour and fitness in potentially profound ways. Despite this, we lack detailed information about species' responses to climatic variation. Using an 11-year tracking dataset of over 300 individual birds, we explore the consequences of variation in the southern annular mode (SAM) and southern oscillation index (SOI) for individual behaviour and fitness in wandering albatrosses breeding in the Southern Indian Ocean.

The Prevalence of Childhood Asthma, Respiratory Symptoms and Associated Air Pollution Sources Among Adolescent Learners in Selected Schools in Vhembe District, South Africa.

Unlabelled: This study investigated the prevalence of childhood asthma and respiratory symptoms with their associated air pollution sources among adolescents aged 13-14 years residing in a Malaria-endemic region.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 2855 adolescents from fourteen (14) selected schools in communities exposed to high levels of air pollution from indoor residual spraying (IRS) that is used for malaria vector control in the Vhembe region. Data were collected using a self-administered standardized International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.

Competition and Facilitation Influence Central Place Foraging Ecology in a Colonial Marine Predator.

Coloniality is strongly shaped by aspects of social foraging behaviour. For example, colonies may be important sources of information, while food competition may increase foraging efforts and limit colony size. Understanding foraging ecology considering these apparent trade-offs is required to develop a better understanding of colonial living.

Schools of public health as a cornerstone for pandemic preparedness and response: the Africa COVID-19 experience.

Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant morbidity and mortality in Africa, in addition to other socio-economic consequences. Across the continent, Schools of Public Health (SPHs) played several roles in supporting national, regional, and global response to the pandemic. Following a published and grey literature search, this paper reviews and analyses the contribution of SPHs in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Strong winds reduce foraging success in albatrosses.

Knowledge of how animals respond to weather and changes in their physical environment is increasingly important, given the higher frequency of extreme weather recorded in recent years and its forecasted increase globally. Even species considered to be highly adapted to extremes of weather, as albatrosses are to strong winds, may be disadvantaged by shifts in those extremes. Tracked albatrosses were shown recently to avoid storms and the strongest associated winds.

Pharmacovigilance monitoring and treatment adherence in patients on antihypertensive drugs at a tertiary care centre.

Background: Hypertension is one of the main factors contributing to the global burden of non-communicable diseases. Previous research has revealed that stress, bad lifestyle choices and a lack of knowledge about the disease are the main causes of hypertension that can be controlled. The key cause behind the prevalence of the condition is the lack of medication adherence by patients.

A Continuous Flow Process for the Defluorosilylation of HFC-23 and HFO-1234yf.

A continuous flow process has been developed for the defluorosilylation of trifluoromethane (HFC-23) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf) through reaction with lithium silanide reagents under inert conditions. Design of experiment optimization improved process conditions, including productivity, yields, reduction of solvent use, and gas destruction. The small chain fluorinated organosilane products RSiCFH and RSiCHC(F)═CF were competent nucleophiles in the fluoride-catalyzed difluoromethylation of aldehydes, and trifluoroallylation of aldehydes, ketones, and imines.

Sex and Gender Variables in Data Set Creation and Data Cleaning for Inclusive and Accurate Reproductive Health Research and Quality Improvement.

Introduction: Existing data is often used for reproductive research and quality improvement. Electronic health records (EHRs) with a single data field for sex and gender conflate sex assigned at birth, genotype, gender identity, and the presence of anatomic tissue and organs. This is problematic for inclusion of transgender and gender-diverse populations in research.

Non-faradaic capacitive cation sensing under flow.

The ability to continually monitor target ion species in real-time is a highly sought-after endeavour in the field of host-guest chemistry, given its direct pertinence to medical and environmental applications. Developing methodologies which support sensitive and continuous ion sensing in aqueous media, however, remains a challenge. Herein, we present a versatile and facile, proof-of-concept electrochemical sensing methodology based on non-faradaic capacitance, which can be operated continuously with high temporal resolution (≈1.

Acceptability and performance of dual HIV/syphilis testing in male circumcision clients, 2021.

Background: Dual HIV/syphilis testing may be an acceptable intervention to identify men with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and at risk of HIV acquisition.

Objectives: We sought to determine the acceptability, and performance of dual HIV/syphilis testing among men attending voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services at six public sector facilities in Gauteng.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study at VMMC facilities.

Association of Opioid Disposal Practices with Parental Education and a Home Opioid Disposal Kit Following Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery.

Background: The majority of opioid analgesics prescribed for pain after ambulatory pediatric surgery remain unused. Most parents do not dispose of these leftover opioids or dispose of them in an unsafe manner. We aimed to evaluate the association of optimal opioid disposal with a multidisciplinary quality improvement (QI) initiative that proactively educated parents about the importance of optimal opioid disposal practices and provided a home opioid disposal kit before discharge after pediatric ambulatory surgery.

Holistic Approach for the Early Detection of Oral Cancer: A Comprehensive Training Module.

Objectives: Oral cancer is significantly high in India, and screening is an effective approach to downstage the disease. Educating Community Health Workers (CHWs) on early oral cancer detection is an effective step toward reducing the burden and serves as a first step toward facilitating the transfer of knowledge. Therefore, the purpose of this hands-on education was to equip CHWs with insight on the advanced diagnostics, preventive techniques, and innovations for the early detection of oral cancer.

Respiratory conditions and health symptoms associated with air pollution amongst children aged six years and below in Melusi Informal Settlement, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Respiratory conditions and health symptoms associated with air pollution in children are a major public health concern, as their immune systems and lungs are not yet fully developed. This study aimed to assess self-reported respiratory conditions and health symptoms associated with air pollution sources amongst children aged six years and below in Melusi informal settlement, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa.

Methods: With a quantitative cross-sectional study design, parents/caregivers of children aged six years and below (n = 300) from eight Early Childhood Development Centres were invited to participate in the study.

Insights into prostate cancer awareness and perceptions among men in Tshwane.

Background: Globally, prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 6.6% of deaths, while in South Africa (SA), PCa accounts for 13% of deaths in males, with over 4 000 SA men diagnosed with PCa annually. This may be attributed to the inadequate availability of screening, early detection and possibly other socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

Associations between COVID-19 therapies and outcomes in rural and urban America: A multisite, temporal analysis from the Alpha to Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Purpose: To investigate the enduring disparities in adverse COVID-19 events between urban and rural communities in the United States, focusing on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and therapeutic advances on patient outcomes.

Methods: Using National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data from 2021 to 2023, this retrospective cohort study examined COVID-19 hospitalization, inpatient death, and other adverse events. Populations were categorized into urban, urban-adjacent rural (UAR), and nonurban-adjacent rural (NAR).

Hospital Quality Indicators for Opioid-Exposed Infants: Results From an Expert Consensus Panel.

Objective: To elicit expert consensus on quality indicators for the hospital-based care of opioid-exposed infants.

Methods: We used the ExpertLens online platform to conduct a 3-round modified Delphi panel. Expert panelists included health care providers, parents in recovery, quality experts, and public health experts.

Performance of Phenotype Algorithms for the Identification of Opioid-Exposed Infants.

Objective: Observational studies examining outcomes among opioid-exposed infants are limited by phenotype algorithms that may under identify opioid-exposed infants without neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). We developed and validated the performance of different phenotype algorithms to identify opioid-exposed infants using electronic health record data.

Methods: We developed phenotype algorithms for the identification of opioid-exposed infants among a population of birthing person-infant dyads from an academic health care system (2010-2022).

Tobacco use Prevalence in the Military Health System: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Tobacco use is prevalent and has traditionally been higher in the U.S. Military population than in the civilian population, but studies are limited.