Bridging the Vaccination Equity Gap: A Community-Driven Approach to Reduce Vaccine Inequities in Polio High-Risk Areas of Pakistan.

Immunization saves millions of lives, and globally, vaccines have significantly contributed to reducing mortality and morbidity due to more than 20 life-threatening illnesses. However, there are considerable disparities in vaccination coverage among countries and within populations. This study evaluates the reduction in disparities in vaccination coverage across various socio-economic groups by adopting an integrated community-engagement approach combined with maternal and child health services through mobile health camps.

Monitoring the Risk of Type-2 Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Emergence During Roll-Out of Type-2 Novel Oral Polio Vaccine.

Although wild poliovirus type 2 has been eradicated, the prolonged transmission of the live- attenuated virus contained in the type-2 oral polio vaccine (OPV2) in under-immunized populations has led to the emergence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). The novel OPV2 (nOPV2) was designed to be more genetically stable and reduce the chance of cVDPV2 emergence while retaining comparable immunogenicity to the Sabin monovalent OPV2 (mOPV2). This study aimed to estimate the relative reduction in the emergence risk due to the use of nOPV2 instead of mOPV2.

Factors Associated with the Prolonged Use of Donor Human Milk at the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in Vietnam.

Background And Objectives: Donor human milk (DHM) from a human milk bank (HMB) is used to feed low-birthweight (LBW) and preterm infants when mothers cannot provide their own breastmilk. The misuse of DHM could interfere with mothers' breastmilk and weaken breastfeeding efforts. This study aimed to identify factors behind prolonged DHM usage during the first six years of Vietnam's first HMB.

Comparison of Methods to Assess Adherence to Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and Provision of Low-Aflatoxin Porridge Flours in a Community-Based Intervention Trial.

Background: Levels of adherence to recommended protocols in an intervention trial can affect outcomes and confound the results. To broaden the evidence about the selection and utility of adherence measures in varying contexts, we describe the level of adherence to the Mycotoxin Mitigation Trial (MMT) randomized intervention using caregiver-reported survey questions and compare inferences of adherence between multi-module surveys and interactive 24 h dietary recalls based on our program theory.

Methods: The MMT was a two-arm cluster-randomized trial conducted in 52 health facilities (clusters) in central Tanzania.

Molecular Analysis of and Correlations Between Phylogroups and Sequence Types from Different Sources.

is a significant pathogen responsible for infections in both humans and livestock, possessing various virulence mechanisms and antimicrobial resistance that make it even more concerning. In this study, several internationally recognized clones of were identified, such as ST131, ST38, ST648, and ST354, from chicken meat, pork, and human infection samples. Notably, ST131, belonging to phylogroup B2, was the dominant sequence type (ST) in human samples, while ST38, belonging to phylogroup D, was the most prevalent in meat samples.

Histological Dissection of Fusarium-Banana Interaction Using a GFP-Tagged Subtropical Race 4 Strain of f. sp. on Banana Cultivars with Differing Levels of Resistance.

Fusarium wilt, caused by f. sp. (), poses a significant threat to global banana production.

Exploring the Feasibility of a Bracketing Approach Utilizing Modeling for Development of Long-Acting Injectables for Regulatory Approval-A Case Study Using Levonorgestrel.

Background: The development of long-acting products of a characterized drug substance is of great interest. It is possible to support the development of these products with available clinical data by matching the exposure to a predefined bracket of a minimal concentration for efficacy and a maximal concentration for safety. This bracketing approach would cut down on the time and cost of new long-acting contraceptive products progressing to market.

The Effect of Spray Regimes on the Population Dynamics of Selected Field Pests and Their Effect on Grain Yield and Yield Components of Common Bean in Uganda.

In Uganda, the common bean () is often infested by a complex of insect pests, but bean flies, aphids, bean leaf beetles, and flower thrips are the most important. Whereas yield losses due to these pests have been established, there is limited information on their population dynamics at different stages of crop growth and their effect on yield and yield components. In order to describe the population dynamics of selected common bean pests at various phases of bean crop growth, and their impact on yield and yield components, a study was carried out in Uganda during the 2016 second rains and the 2017 first rains in three agro-ecological zones.

Forest-Going as a Risk Factor for Confirmed Malaria in Champasak Province, Lao PDR: A Case-Control Study.

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has made significant progress in reducing malaria in recent years. In the Greater Mekong Subregion, forest-going is often a risk factor contributing to continuing malaria transmission. This study assessed forest-going and other potential risk factors for malaria cases in Champasak Province, Lao PDR.

Effective Coverage of Modern Contraceptive Use in Ethiopia: An Ecological Linking Analysis of Service Provision Assessment and National Health Equity Surveys.

The increase in contraceptive prevalence rate (crude coverage) in Ethiopia over the past two decades does not necessarily reflect service quality, and although the proportion of women with unmet needs has decreased, it remains unacceptably high. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the effective coverage (EC) of modern contraceptive methods in Ethiopia, considering the quality of care. We used nationally representative surveys, such as health facility surveys (Ethiopia Service Provision Assessment, 2021/22) and household surveys (National Health Equity Survey, 2022/2023).

How Does Background Music Affect Dining Duration, Tips and Bill Amounts in Restaurants? A Field Experiment.

Influences from external factors can affect decision-makers, preventing them from making decisions in a fully rational manner. Music may serve as one such influential factor in this context. Music is part of our daily lives, and we are exposed to music in numerous places.

Evaluation of Metronidazole Resistance of Vaginal Swab Isolates from South African Women Treated for Bacterial Vaginosis.

: The high recurrence rate of bacterial vaginosis (BV) after antibiotic treatment is at least partially attributed to resistant bacteria. The CAPRISA 083 (CAP083) study investigated the influence of metronidazole (MTZ) treatment on the vaginal microbiome in 56 South African women diagnosed with BV. To explore the etiology of recurrent BV in this cohort, we retrospectively analyzed vaginal swabs collected in CAP083 before and after MTZ treatment.

Survival Strategies of : Adaptive Regulation of the Anti-Restriction Gene -H1 Under Stress Conditions.

: The anti-restriction protein ArdA-H1, found in multiresistant (MRSA) strains from the ST239-SCCIII lineage, inhibits restriction-modification systems, fostering horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and supporting genetic adaptability and resistance. This study investigates the regulatory mechanisms controlling H1 expression in under various stress conditions, including acidic pH, iron limitation, and vancomycin exposure, and explores the roles of the Agr quorum sensing system. : The expression of H1 was analyzed in strains exposed to environmental stressors using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR.

Protection by natural cholera against later episodes of cholera over 10 years of follow-up in Matlab, Bangladesh: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with cholera have been shown to be protected against subsequent cholera for 3 years after their initial episode. We aimed to assess protection at 10 years of follow-up.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, cohorts of patients treated for cholera (index patients) and contemporaneously selected age-matched individuals without cholera (controls), randomly selected from the population of Matlab, Bangladesh, were assembled between 1990 and 2009 and followed for up to 10 years.

High prevalence of reverse transcriptase inhibitors associated resistance mutations among people living with HIV on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy in Francistown, Botswana.

Objectives: We assessed HIV-1 drug resistance profiles among people living with HIV (PLWH) with detectable viral load (VL) and on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Botswana.

Methods: The study utilised available 100 residual HIV-1 VL samples from unique PLWH in Francistown who had viraemia at-least 6 months after initiating ART in Botswana's national ART program from November 2023 to January 2024. Viraemia was categorized as low-level viraemia (LLV) (VL: 200-999 copies/mL) or virologic failure (VF) (VL ≥1000 copies/mL).

Human iPSC-derived neural stem cells engraft and improve pathophysiology of MPS I mice.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a metabolic disorder characterized by a deficiency in α-l-iduronidase (IDUA), leading to impaired glycosaminoglycan degradation. Current approved treatments seek to restore IDUA levels via enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The effectiveness of these treatment strategies in preventing neurodegeneration is limited due to the inability of ERT to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and HSCT's limited CNS reconstitution of IDUA levels.

Phylodynamic analysis reveals disparate transmission dynamics of -complex lineages in Botswana.

Tuberculosis epidemics have traditionally been conceptualized as arising from a single uniform pathogen. However, -complex (Mtbc), the pathogen causing tuberculosis in humans, encompasses multiple lineages exhibiting genetic and phenotypic diversity that may be responsible for heterogeneity in TB transmission. We analysed a population-based dataset of 1,354 Mtbc whole-genome sequences collected over four years in Botswana, a country with high HIV and tuberculosis burden.

Designing for medication adherence in inflammatory bowel disease: multi-disciplinary approaches for self-administrable biotherapeutics.

Biotherapeutics are among the therapeutics that have revolutionized standard inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, which was previously limited to mesalamine, 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, and classical immunosuppressants. Self-administrable biotherapeutics for IBD would enable home-based treatment and reduce the burden on medical infrastructure. Self-administration is made possible through subcutaneous injectable, oral, and rectal dosage forms.

Aberrant splicing in Huntington's disease accompanies disrupted TDP-43 activity and altered m6A RNA modification.

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to altered gene expression. However, the mechanisms leading to disrupted RNA processing in HD remain unclear. Here we identify TDP-43 and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer protein METTL3 to be upstream regulators of exon skipping in multiple HD systems.

Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries.

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, an updated and comprehensive assessment of the global burden attributable to SSBs remains scarce. Here we estimated SSB-attributable T2D and CVD burdens across 184 countries in 1990 and 2020 globally, regionally and nationally, incorporating data from the Global Dietary Database, jointly stratified by age, sex, educational attainment and urbanicity.

Ferric carboxymaltose for anemia in late pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.

Over 46% of African pregnant women are anemic. Oral iron is recommended but often suboptimal, particularly late in pregnancy. Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) could treat anemia in women in the third trimester in sub-Saharan Africa.

Target product profile for cell-based and gene-based therapies to achieve a cure for HIV.

This target product profile (TPP) highlights the minimal and optimal characteristics for ex-vivo and in-vivo cell and gene therapy-based products aimed at achieving an HIV cure (ie, durable antiretroviral-free viral control). The need for an effective, safe, scalable, affordable, accessible, and acceptable cure for HIV infection remains a major global priority. The possibilities for cell and gene therapy-based products for an HIV cure are rapidly expanding.

The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae.

Among hornbill birds, the critically endangered helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is notable for its casque (a bulbous beak protrusion) being filled with trabeculae and fronted by a very thick keratin layer. Casque function is debated but appears central to aerial jousting, where birds (typically males) collide casques at high speeds in a mid-flight display that is audible for more than 100 m. We characterized the structural relationship between the skull and casque anatomy using X-ray microtomography and quantitative trabecular network analysis to examine how the casque sustains extreme impact.

Modelling the health labour market outlook in Kenya: Supply, needs and investment requirements for health workers, 2021-2035.

Kenya is committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) within its devolved health system in which significant investments have been made in health infrastructure, workforce development, and service delivery. Despite these efforts, the country faces considerable health workforce challenges. To address these, the Ministry of Health undertook a comprehensive Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) in 2022 to generate evidence supporting the development of responsive health workforce policies.

Parenting Self-Efficacy Moderates the Association Between Unmet Parenting Expectations and NICU-Related PTSD Symptoms Reported by Mothers 1-5 Years Post-Infant NICU Hospitalization.

Infant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization increases maternal risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which may negatively impact mother-child attachment and infant growth and development. Prior studies have documented positive associations between unmet parenting expectations and adverse maternal psychological outcomes, including post-NICU discharge. However, no studies have yet explored how unmet parenting expectations may be associated with maternal NICU-related PTSD symptoms.