The Effect of Offspring Gender Composition on Modern Contraceptive Uptake Among Married Women of Reproductive Age in Pakistan: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Pakistan is confronted with the formidable challenge of high population growth, which is compounded by cultural norms that prioritize male offspring, leading to adverse implications for family planning efforts and demographic trends. Despite efforts to promote contraception, including a national family planning program, Pakistan continues to struggle with low and stagnant contraceptive prevalence rates among married women. The influence of gender composition on modern contraceptive uptake remains underexplored, necessitating research to elucidate its impact on reproductive behavior.

Exploring the Efficacy of Aboriginal Men's Socioemotional Healing Programs in Australia: A Scoping Review of Evaluated Programs.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) men's health and social indicators reflect an ongoing legacy of social disruption with profound implications for broader family and community contexts. In response to recognized needs, healing programs have been implemented within Australia. The literature on relevant best practices for Indigenous men's healing was explored to inform the planning and implementation of a local program.

Distinct Urinary Metabolite Signatures Mirror In Vivo Oxidative Stress-Related Radiation Responses in Mice.

Exposure to ionizing radiation disrupts metabolic pathways and causes oxidative stress, which can lead to organ damage. In this study, urinary metabolites from mice exposed to high-dose and low-dose whole-body irradiation (WBI HDR, WBI LDR) or partial-body irradiation (PBI BM2.5) were analyzed using targeted and untargeted metabolomics approaches.

Clinical Dental Midline Shift Is Not a Predictor of the Side of Shorter Hemimandible: A Cone Beam Computed Tomography Diagnostic Study.

: Interincisive midline deviation is frequent. Determining the cause (dental versus skeletal) is crucial for treatment planning. This study assessed the null hypothesis that neither clinical dental midline shift nor the temporomandibular disorder (TMD)-affected side correlate with maxillary/mandibular asymmetry.

Impact of Point-of-Care Testing on Diagnosis, Treatment, and Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Viral Infections.

With the advent of a variety of vaccines against viral infections, there are multiple viruses that can be prevented via vaccination. However, breakthrough infections or uncovered strains can still cause vaccine-preventable viral infections (VPVIs). Therefore, timely diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of these viruses is critical to patient care and public health.

Exploitation of the Nutraceutical Potential of the Infesting Seaweed as a Yellow Mealworms' Feed: Focus on Nutrients and Antioxidant Activity.

According to the Sustainable Blue Economy Communication, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the European Green Deal, novel business models supporting the use of resources from oceans and seas are of primary importance. Interestingly, several infesting seaweeds are consumed as foods in Asia and are fundamental ingredients in several traditional dishes. Herein, according to the circular economy approach, we investigate the use of (CL) as a larvae feed in different percentages: 20%, 50%, and 100%, respectively.

Coffee Pulp from Azores: A Novel Phytochemical-Rich Food with Potential Anti-Diabetic Properties.

Coffee pulp, a by-product of wet coffee processing, shows significant potential in the food and health domains, but its real applications remain underexplored. This work investigated the chemical composition and bioactive properties of coffee pulp from São Miguel Island (Azores, Portugal). The studied coffee pulp exhibited high fiber content (52% dw), mostly insoluble; notable mineral levels (10.

Circular RNA circBNC2 inhibits tumorigenesis by modulating ferroptosis and acts as a nanotherapeutic target in prostate cancer.

Background: Metastasis is a leading cause of cancer-related death in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of the metastasis of various cancers. However, the functional effects and regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in metastatic CRPC (mCRPC) remain largely unknown.

Assessing the use of geospatial data for immunization program implementation and associated effects on coverage and equity in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: The National Expanded Program on Immunization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo implemented a program in 9 Provinces to generate georeferenced immunization microplans to strengthen the planning and implementation of vaccination services. The intervention aimed to improve identification and immunization of zero-dose children and overall immunization coverage.

Methods: This study applies a mixed-methods design including survey tools, in-depth interviews and direct observation to document the uptake, use, and acceptance of the immunization microplans developed with geospatial data in two intervention provinces and one control province from February to June 2023.

BDH1 identified by transcriptome has a negative effect on lipid metabolism in mammary epithelial cells of dairy goats.

Background: The 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 (BDH1) mainly participates in the regulation of milk fat synthesis and ketone body synthesis in mammary epithelial cells. In our previous study, BDH1 was identified as a key candidate gene regulating lipid metabolism in mammary glands of dairy goats by RNA-seq. This study aimed to investigate the effect of BDH1 on lipid metabolism in mammary epithelial cells of dairy goats (GMECs).

The cell colony development is connected with the accumulation of embryogenesis-related proteins and dynamic distribution of cell wall components in in vitro cultures of Fagopyrum tataricum and Fagopyrum esculentum.

Background: Due to the totipotency of plant cells, which allows them to reprogram from a differentiated to a dedifferentiated state, plants exhibit a remarkable regenerative capacity, including under in vitro culture conditions. When exposed to plant hormones, primarily auxins and cytokinins, explant cells cultured in vitro can undergo differentiation through callus formation. Protoplast culture serves as a valuable research model for studying these processes in detail.

[Development and validation of a clinical automatic diagnosis system based on diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders].

Objective: To develop a clinical automated diagnostic system for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) based on the diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) to assist dentists in making rapid and accurate clinical diagnosis of TMD.

Methods: Clinical and imaging data of 354 patients, who visited the Center for TMD & Orofacial Pain at Peking University Hospital of Stomatology from September 2023 to January 2024, were retrospectively collected. The study developed a clinical automated diagnostic system for TMD using the DC/TMD, built on the.

SOFCs integrated with SMES under dynamic power control using Chernobyl disaster optimizer.

The current study uses the Chernobyl disaster optimizer (CDO), a new metaheuristic optimizer, to identify the seven unknown parameters of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The procedures of the CDO is based on physical behavior of the elaborated radiations from the well-known Chernobyl disaster according to their mass, speed, frequency, and degree of ionization. The sum of square errors (SMSE) among the estimated and the real measured output voltage datasets of SOFCs is minimized employing the CDO.

Multi-terminal flexible DC grid circuit breaker withstands multi-lightning strike analysis.

Lightning represents the primary threat to power grids, with approximately 80% of natural occurrences being multi-lightning strikes, which have been extensively studied and confirmed to pose even more severe hazards. Hybrid DC circuit breakers (DCCBs) exhibit promising application prospects due to their superior interruption performance. During multi-lightning strikes, lightning intrusive waves pose a greater threat to the insulation of equipment such as hybrid DC fuses, fast mechanical switches, and insulated gate bipolar transistors.

Zinc absorption from maize-based meals enriched with edible house crickets: a randomized crossover stable-isotope study in Kenyan pre-school children.

Edible insects have been proposed as a novel and sustainable source of protein and other essential nutrients for human consumption but nutrient absorption efficiency is still uncertain. We investigated zinc absorption from house crickets (Acheta domesticus) in a single-center and single-blinded cross-over study with children aged 24-36 months old in Kenya from September-November 2021. For this, children were randomized to consume two different experimental meals labeled with stable isotopes of zinc (Zn) at two different days, separated by a wash-out period of one month.

A point-based cognitive impairment scoring system for Southeast Asian adults short title: Cognitive impairment scoring system.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a growing concern in Southeast Asian populations, where the burden of cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) is high. Currently, there is no point-based scoring system for identifying cognitive impairment in these populations.

Objective: To develop and validate a simple point-based Cognitive Impairment Scoring System (CISS) for identifying individuals with cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and concomitant CeVD in Southeast Asian populations.

Practice Advisory for Postoperative Pain Management of Cardiac Surgical Patients: A Report by Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists.

Moderate to severe pain after cardiac surgery is relatively common, which increases the risk of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications and delays hospital discharge. Opioids have been useful agents for postoperative pain control after cardiac surgery, but are associated with serious adverse effects. As a result, multimodal analgesia has been adopted widely to decrease reliance on opioids for treating postoperative pain, reduce opioid-related adverse effects, and promote early recovery.

Occurrence of Chiorchis fabaceus (Trematoda: Cladorchiidae) in a wild Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus): New parasitological data for this imperilled sirenian.

Parasites impact wildlife populations and ecosystem health, thereby demanding regular monitoring. As part of the national conservation effort to preserve the free-ranging sirenians in Colombia, a parasitological survey was conducted between 2011 and 2023 on naturally deceased Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus). A total of 17 stranded carcasses were analysed for the occurrence of parasites.

Estimated Long-Term Dietary Exposure to Cadmium from Consumption of Spinach in the United States: A Probabilistic Assessment.

As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Closer to Zero initiative, a toxicological reference value (TRV) for oral dietary exposure to Cd was established.

A proposed screening strategy for evaluating the genotoxicity potential of botanicals and botanical extracts.

Botanicals have long been used to promote health and treat diseases, but the safety of many currently marketed botanicals has not been adequately evaluated. Given the chemical complexity of botanicals, which often contain numerous unknown constituents, and their widespread use, comprehensive toxicity assessments are needed. The Botanical Safety Consortium was established to address this challenge.

Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy Consortium RESILIENT Conference on Pediatric Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease Survivorship after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Part II. Organ Dysfunction and Immune Reconstitution Considerations for children with chronic GVHD after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

While highly morbid forms of chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and severe late effects of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) can impact children and adults alike, unique considerations arise in pediatric cases regarding diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, and likelihood of resolution. As children can present with atypical features of cGVHD, and with more significant disease due to inability to communicate symptoms, they may be at increased risk for highly morbid forms of cGVHD and incur greater subsequent late effects, which may be more pronounced in those with underlying chromosomal breakage syndromes, with higher prevalence in pediatric HCT recipients. The long-term effects of cGVHD and its therapies include impaired immune reconstitution, leading to increased risks of infection and secondary malignant neoplasms.

Association of Alcohol Use Disorder and Perioperative Complications and Adverse Events After Spinal Fusion Surgery During the In-hospital Period: An Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database.

Objective: Alcohol use disorder carries major effects shown to limit social support, increase recovery times, and lead to a higher incidence of surgical complications. This retrospective cohort study investigated the influence of AUD on perioperative outcomes and adverse events after spinal fusions in the largest sample size to date and spanning 11 years.

Methods: Data for adult (>18 years old) patients who underwent a spinal fusion as their primary surgery were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for the years 2009-2020.

An ER Stress and Mitochondrial Apoptosis Co-inducer for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy.

Though immunogenic cell death (ICD) has garnered significant attention in the realm of anticancer therapies, effectively stimulating strong immune responses with adequate antigen presentation in deep-seated cancers remains challenging. Herein, to promote antigen presentation, an efficient dual-targeted photodynamic ICD inducer is developed. Due to the enhanced spin-orbit coupling and electron structure modulation, the Cy5-I-CF probe showcases exceptional reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capacity within cancer cells.