Impact of mothers' employment on infant feeding and care: a qualitative study of the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Objective: To explore the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) using focus group discussions (FGDs) to understand the impact of mothers' employment on infant feeding and care. The effects of mothers' employment on nutritional status of children could be variable. It could lead to increased household income, but could also compromise child care and feeding.

Family and carer smoking control programmes for reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Background: Children's exposure to other people's cigarette smoke (environmental tobacco smoke, or ETS) is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes for children. Parental smoking is a common source of children's exposure to ETS. Older children are also at risk of exposure to ETS in child care or educational settings.

Development and implementation of South Asia's first heat-health action plan in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India).

Recurrent heat waves, already a concern in rapidly growing and urbanizing South Asia, will very likely worsen in a warming world. Coordinated adaptation efforts can reduce heat's adverse health impacts, however. To address this concern in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India), a coalition has been formed to develop an evidence-based heat preparedness plan and early warning system.

Experimental approaches to investigating the vaginal biofilm microbiome.

Unraveling the complex ecology of the vaginal biofilm microbiome relies on a number of complementary techniques. Here, we describe the experimental approaches for studying vaginal microbial biofilm samples with a focus on specimen preparation for subsequent analysis. The techniques include fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy.

Conflicting race/ethnicity reports: lessons for improvement in data quality.

Objective: To learn the frequency of conflicting race/ethnicity reports, to examine patterns of conflicting reports, and to identify possible avenues for data quality improvement.

Methods: As part of the Data Improvement Project on Patient Ethnicity and Race (DIPPER), an analysis of conflicting race/ethnicity reports for cancer cases was conducted. Using matched hospital discharge data and central cancer registry data from 2009, the race/ethnicity of patients in the 2 datasets were compared.

NOD2/RICK-dependent β-defensin 2 regulation is protective for nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae-induced middle ear infection.

Middle ear infection, otitis media (OM), is clinically important due to the high incidence in children and its impact on the development of language and motor coordination. Previously, we have demonstrated that the human middle ear epithelial cells up-regulate β-defensin 2, a model innate immune molecule, in response to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), the most common OM pathogen, via TLR2 signaling. NTHi does internalize into the epithelial cells, but its intracellular trafficking and host responses to the internalized NTHi are poorly understood.

Bacterial biofilms and increased bacterial counts are associated with airway stenosis.

Objectives: Most airway stenoses are acquired secondary to the use of prolonged endotracheal intubation. Antibiotics have been shown to decrease local inflammation and granulation tissue formation in the trachea. However, antibiotic therapy is not 100% effective in preventing or treating granulation tissue formation.

Sustained delivery of commensal bacteria from pod-intravaginal rings.

Topical administration of live commensal bacteria to the vaginal tract holds significant potential as a cost-effective strategy for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections and the delivery of mucosal vaccines. Probiotic-releasing intravaginal rings (IVRs) embody significant theoretical advantages over traditional daily-dosage forms, such as sustained and controlled delivery leading to improved adherence to therapy compared to that of frequent dosing. The conventional IVR designs, however, are not amenable to the delivery of live bacteria.

Digital multiplexed mRNA analysis of functionally important genes in single human oocytes and correlation of changes in transcript levels with oocyte protein expression.

Objective: To investigate functionally important transcripts in single human oocytes with the use of NanoString technology and determine whether observed differences are biologically meaningful.

Design: Analysis of human oocytes with the use of NanoString and immunoblotting.

Setting: University-affiliated reproductive medicine unit.